EP3980345B1 - Assembly for closing a tube and tube comprising said assembly - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an assembly for closing a tube and a tube comprising this assembly.

We know of tubes fitted with a seal associated with a perforating stopper comprising a punch adapted to perforate said seal, see for example US 2017/297788 A1 .

The seal allows the product contained in the tube to be kept hermetically sealed during storage prior to its first use, which represents a very important part of the overall lifespan of the tube.

There are caps in which the punch is arranged in the cap and protrudes from it so that it can pierce the seal when the cap is screwed onto the tube head. In order to ensure the preservation of the seal prior to first use, a ring is arranged between the cap and a shoulder of the tube head, so as to keep the punch away from the seal when the cap is screwed onto the neck. In this position, the cap is in the so-called transport position or waiting position before first use.

To pierce and/or cut the seal, the user must first unscrew the cap, then remove the ring and finally screw the cap back on until the seal is pierced and/or cut once it reaches the end position, also called the closed position. The number of steps is restrictive for the user who often does not understand what the ring is for and does not necessarily understand that a seal must be pierced before using the tube for the first time.

It is known from the document LU 88845 a cap provided with a punch which is held in the waiting position without a removable ring. The neck includes a housing in which a portion of thread, located on the cap, can be locked in such a position. The portion of thread is then used to screw the cap onto the neck to a position allowing the seal to be pierced and cut when the tube is first used. The cap can then be screwed or unscrewed for subsequent uses or remain permanently when equipped with a resealable dispensing system such as a service capsule. However, this device has several disadvantages.

First of all, the positioning of the cap on the neck in the waiting position is carried out using processes operating at very high speed. It is therefore necessary that this operation can be carried out with high reliability in order to provide satisfactory repeatability.

With the document device LU 88845 , a rib used to snap the portion of thread into the housing allowing it to be held in the waiting position is achieved by radial deformation of the cap. The manufacturing tolerances remain relatively high, typically greater than a tenth of a millimeter, in such a direction, which is detrimental to a good ability to obtain the desired locking effect on all the caps produced, particularly in the case of demolding with slides.

Another disadvantage of the document device LU 88845 is the torque required to successfully close the cap on first use. In fact, with the cap used in this document, it is necessary to simultaneously pierce the seal and compress a seal ensuring a tight seal of the cap. Such a torque can cause discomfort to the user.

According to another drawback of the document device LU 88845 , the cap includes a non-return stop to keep the cap in place once in the closed position. However, this stop is located in the thread used to guide the cap onto the neck and the portion of thread used to screw the cap on must pass by force above this stop. This risks damaging the said stop and requires additional torque to be applied by the user. This stop can also give the user the impression of a hard point corresponding to an end of travel marking the closure of the cap when this is not yet the case. The perforation of the seal by the punch risks not being completed which will hinder the proper flow of the product contained in the tube. The seal may also not be completely achieved.

To overcome this other drawback, the present invention provides an assembly for closing a tube according to claim 1, said assembly comprising a tube head provided with a neck and a seal closing said neck, said assembly further comprising a cap comprising a punch adapted to perforate said seal, said neck and said cap being configured to guide the cap to a closing position in which said punch has perforated said seal, said cap comprising a lateral skirt provided with at least one notch opening radially, said neck comprising a protrusion configured to cooperate angularly with said notch to block removal of the cap, once said cap is in said closing position, said protrusion having an edge provided with an inclined portion and a straight portion, said inclined portion being configured to radially separate said cap and said straight portion being located at a part of the protrusion forming a non-return stop for the cap once in the closing position.

According to this third aspect of the invention, the protrusion for locking the cap in the closed position does not come into contact with the shapes used to guide the cap to its closed position. On the contrary, it is located at a distance and cooperates with a specific shape, namely the notch provided in the cap to effect the desired locking. This prevents damage to the shapes used to guide the cap on the neck and makes it more reliable to correctly identify the end-of-travel position.

• ladite encoche est ouverte sur un bord libre de ladite jupe de façon à donner une élasticité radiale au bouchon au voisinage de ladite encoche,
• ledit ensemble comprend un filetage et une portion de filet configuré pour coopérer avec ledit filetage pour un vissage du bouchon jusqu'à ladite position de fermeture,
• ledit ensemble est configuré pour que ladite portion de filet atteigne ladite position de fermeture en passant à distance de ladite excroissance,
• ladite excroissance s'étend axialement depuis une extrémité terminale d'un filet inférieur du filetage,
• ledit ensemble comprend en outre une butée de fin de course pour le bouchon, en position de fermeture,
• la butée de fin de course est configurée pour coopérer avec ladite portion de filet, une fois ladite excroissance engagée dans l'une desdites encoches,
• ledit ensemble comprend plusieurs dites encoches et plusieurs dites portions de filet, chacune des portions de filet étant située angulairement entre deux voisines desdites encoches,
• ledit bouchon comprend une capsule service.

According to this third aspect, the invention may also comprise any of the following features, taken individually or in any technically possible combination forming as many embodiments of the invention, including with the features of the other aspects of the invention set out in the foregoing or in the following:

• said notch is open on a free edge of said skirt so as to give radial elasticity to the plug in the vicinity of said notch,
• said assembly comprises a thread and a portion of thread configured to cooperate with said thread for screwing the cap to said closed position,
• said assembly is configured so that said portion of thread reaches said closing position by passing at a distance from said protrusion,
• said protrusion extends axially from a terminal end of a lower thread of the thread,
• said assembly further comprises an end-of-travel stop for the cap, in the closed position,
• the end-of-travel stop is configured to cooperate with said portion of thread, once said protrusion is engaged in one of said notches,
• said assembly comprises several said notches and several said thread portions, each of the thread portions being located angularly between two neighboring ones of said notches,
• said cap includes a service capsule.

According to another drawback of the document device LU 88845 , the punch protrudes into the interior volume of the receptacle in the closed position of the cap. This limits the rate of restitution of the product. In fact, the product located in the receptacle at the level of the punch is blocked by the latter and cannot penetrate into the neck. The invention also relates to a tube comprising a closure assembly as described above.

• [Fig. 1] la figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'une tête de tube pour un ensemble pour la fermeture de tube selon un premier mode de réalisation de l'invention, selon un premier angle de vue,
• [Fig. 2] la figure 2 est une vue en perspective de la tête de tube de la figure 1 selon un autre angle de vue,
• [Fig. 3] la figure 3 est une vue de côté de la tête de tube de la figure 1 selon le premier angle de vue
• [Fig. 4] la figure 4 est une vue de côté de la tête de tube de la figure 1 selon l'autre angle de vue
• [Fig. 5] la figure 5 est une vue de côté d'un ensemble selon l'invention comprenant la tête de la figure 1 et un bouchon illustré en transparence, selon le premier angle de vue, dans une première position du bouchon,
• [Fig. 6] la figure 6 est une vue de côté de l'ensemble de la figure 5 selon l'autre angle de vue, dans la première position du bouchon
• [Fig. 7] la figure 7 est une vue de côté de l'ensemble selon la figure 5, selon le premier angle de vue, dans une deuxième position du bouchon,
• [Fig. 8] la figure 8 est une vue de côté de l'ensemble selon la figure 5, selon l'autre angle de vue, dans la deuxième position du bouchon,
• [Fig. 9] la figure 9 est une vue de côté de l'ensemble selon la figure 5, selon le premier angle de vue, dans une troisième position du bouchon,
• [Fig. 10] la figure 10 est une vue de côté de l'ensemble selon la figure 5, selon l'autre angle de vue, dans la troisième position du bouchon,
• [Fig. 11] la figure 11 est une vue de côté de l'ensemble selon la figure 5, selon le premier angle de vue, dans une quatrième position du bouchon,
• [Fig. 12] la figure 12 est une vue de côté de l'ensemble selon la figure 5, selon l'autre angle de vue, dans la quatrième position du bouchon,
• [Fig. 13] la figure 13 est une vue de côté de l'ensemble selon la figure 5, selon le premier angle de vue, dans une cinquième position du bouchon,
• [Fig. 14] la figure 14 est une vue de côté de l'ensemble selon la figure 5, selon l'autre angle de vue, dans la cinquième position du bouchon,
• [Fig. 15] la figure 15 est une vue de côté de l'ensemble selon la figure 5, selon le premier angle de vue, dans une sixième position du bouchon,
• [Fig. 16] la figure 16 est une vue de côté de l'ensemble selon la figure 5, selon l'autre angle de vue, dans la sixième position du bouchon,
• [Fig. 17] la figure 17 est une vue en coupe diamétrale de l'ensemble selon la figure 5 dans la quatrième position du bouchon,
• [Fig. 18] la figure 18 est une vue en coupe diamétrale de l'ensemble selon la figure 5 dans la cinquième position du bouchon,
• [Fig. 19] la figure 19 est une vue en coupe diamétrale de l'ensemble selon la figure 5 dans la cinquième position du bouchon,
• [Fig. 20] la figure 20 est une vue en perspective d'un bord distal d'un poinçon du bouchon de l'ensemble de la figure 5, l'orientation du bouchon ayant été inversé par rapport aux figures précédentes.

Other characteristics, aims and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following description, which is purely illustrative and non-limiting, and which must be read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

• [ Fig. 1 ] there Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tube head for a tube closure assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention, from a first viewing angle,
• [ Fig. 2 ] there Figure 2 is a perspective view of the tube head of the Figure 1 from another point of view,
• [ Fig. 3 ] there Figure 3 is a side view of the tube head of the Figure 1 according to the first angle of view
• [ Fig. 4 ] there Figure 4 is a side view of the tube head of the Figure 1 from the other angle of view
• [ Fig. 5 ] there Figure 5 is a side view of an assembly according to the invention comprising the head of the Figure 1 and a cap illustrated in transparency, according to the first viewing angle, in a first position of the cap,
• [ Fig. 6 ] there Figure 6 is a side view of the entire Figure 5 according to the other angle of view, in the first position of the cap
• [ Fig. 7 ] there Figure 7 is a side view of the whole according to the Figure 5 , according to the first angle of view, in a second position of the cap,
• [ Fig. 8 ] there figure 8 is a side view of the whole according to the Figure 5 , according to the other angle of view, in the second position of the cap,
• [ Fig. 9 ] there Figure 9 is a side view of the whole according to the Figure 5 , according to the first angle of view, in a third position of the cap,
• [ Fig. 10 ] there Figure 10 is a side view of the whole according to the Figure 5 , according to the other angle of view, in the third position of the cap,
• [ Fig. 11 ] there Figure 11 is a side view of the whole according to the Figure 5 , according to the first angle of view, in a fourth position of the cap,
• [ Fig. 12 ] there Figure 12 is a side view of the whole according to the Figure 5 , according to the other angle of view, in the fourth position of the cap,
• [ Fig. 13 ] there figure 13 is a side view of the whole according to the Figure 5 , according to the first angle of view, in a fifth position of the cap,
• [ Fig. 14 ] there Figure 14 is a side view of the whole according to the Figure 5 , according to the other angle of view, in the fifth position of the cap,
• [ Fig. 15 ] there Figure 15 is a side view of the whole according to the Figure 5 , according to the first angle of view, in a sixth position of the cap,
• [ Fig. 16 ] there figure 16 is a side view of the whole according to the Figure 5 , according to the other angle of view, in the sixth position of the cap,
• [ Fig. 17 ] there Figure 17 is a diametrical sectional view of the assembly according to the Figure 5 in the fourth position of the cap,
• [ Fig. 18 ] there figure 18 is a diametrical sectional view of the assembly according to the Figure 5 in the fifth position of the cap,
• [ Fig. 19 ] there figure 19 is a diametrical sectional view of the assembly according to the Figure 5 in the fifth position of the cap,
• [ Fig. 20 ] there figure 20 is a perspective view of a distal edge of a punch of the plug of the assembly of the Figure 5 , the orientation of the cap having been reversed compared to the previous figures.

As illustrated in figures 1 to 19 , the invention relates to an assembly for closing a tube, in particular a flexible tube.

Said assembly comprises a tube head 3 and a cap 30. The tube head 3 comprises a neck 10 and a seal 5 closing said neck 10, here in the lower part of the latter. In other words, the seal is arranged at the end of the neck in fluid communication with the reservoir of the tube. The cap 30 comprises a punch 7 adapted to perforate said seal 5. Said punch 7 is in particular configured to pierce and then cut said seal 5. Advantageously, said seal is only partially cut so that it remains attached to the tube head 3 by a portion of material.

The neck 10 and the stopper 30 extend substantially along a longitudinal axis A (see Figure 17 ) passing through their center. In the following, the term “axial” means oriented parallel to said longitudinal axis A. The cap 30 is movable in rotation and/or in translation relative to said neck 10 along said longitudinal axis A.

Said neck 10 and said stopper 30 are configured to allow the stopper 30 to be guided, in particular from an initial position, illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 , to a waiting position, illustrated in figures 9 and 10 , then from said waiting position to a closing position, illustrated in figures 15 and 16 .

When the cap 30 is in the initial position, said cap 30 is not engaged with the neck 10. Said cap 30 is in this initial position at the start of the movement of placing the cap 30 on the tube head 3. This placing, also called capping, is in particular carried out on production lines. It is therefore important to allow simple, reliable and repeatable kinematics in order to limit production incidents. Advantageously, when placing the cap 30 on the tube head 3, on the production lines, the cap 30 is guided on the neck 10 along a guide path 21 along which it is simultaneously pushed towards the tube head and turned counterclockwise.

When the cap 30 is in the waiting position on the neck 10, the punch 7 is kept at a distance from the seal 5. Said cap 30 is in this waiting position at the end of the initial positioning movement of the cap 30 on the tube head 3. It is in this position that the assembly is sold before filling the tube. It is also in this waiting position that the assembly is sold to the consumer, after filling the tube. Such an assembly ensures that it is kept in the waiting position without the use of an additional part such as a spacer ring.

As illustrated in figures 15, 16 And 19 , when the cap 30 is in the closed position, said punch 7 has perforated said cover 5. The cap 30 then hermetically closes the tube on which the assembly is fitted. The closed position can also be described as the use position insofar as the cutout of the cover 5 determines the starting point for the use of the tube on which the closure assembly 1 according to the invention is mounted. The cap 30 may in particular be intended to remain in the closed position. This is particularly the case when the punch 7 has the shape of a hollow barrel and has an opening, not shown, at the upper face of the cap 30. Thus, once the cap 30 is in the closed position on the neck 10, access to the internal volume of the tube on which the assembly is fitted is possible through said opening. According to an embodiment not shown, the opening of the neck 30 is closed by a cover connected to the cap 10, the cap and the cover possibly forming a service capsule. Thus, the cap 30 can be held in the closed position on the neck 10 while allowing access to the internal volume of the tube and the closing of this access.

In addition to said guide path 21, said assembly comprises a thread 22 and a portion of thread 11 allowing the cap 30 to be placed on the neck 10 by cooperation with the guide path 21 and the thread 22. The guide path 21 and the thread 22 are more particularly visible on the figures 1 to 4 while the portion of net 11 is more particularly visible, in transparency, at figures 5 to 16 .

As more particularly illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 , when guiding from the initial position to the waiting position, said thread portion 11 cooperates with the guide path by a front end 12 of said thread portion 11.

As more particularly illustrated in figures 11 to 16 , said portion of thread 11 is intended to cooperate with said thread 22 by screwing.

Said cap comprises a lateral skirt 23 having an internal face at which said thread portion 11 is located. Said thread portion 11 has a substantially trapezoidal section, intended to cooperate with the thread 22. Said thread portion 11 extends longitudinally along the axis A, radially towards the inside of the cap 30 from the skirt 23 and angularly between its front end 12 and a rear end 13. The angular span of said thread portion is, for example, between 30 and 90°.

According to a first aspect, said assembly comprises a first stop 24 and a second stop 25 for said thread portion 11. Said stops are angularly spaced and define a passage 26 between the guide path 21 and the thread 22. Said assembly is configured to allow axial movement of the thread portion 11 through the passage 26. In addition, once said thread portion 21 has passed through said passage 26, at least one of said stops, here the first stop 24, is configured to prevent a return of said thread portion 21 through said passage 26. The cap 30 is then locked on the neck 10 by snap-fastening and can no longer be detached from the neck 10.

Such kinematics makes it possible to clearly identify the arrival in the waiting position by modifying the trajectory of the cap 30 which here passes from a movement including a rotation along the guide path 21 to an axial movement to cross said passage 26 rather than a kinematics according to which the arrival in the waiting position is done in the continuity of a screwing. Furthermore, the neck 10 has an external wall 14 which remains smooth without rib or groove at the level of said passage 26, the snap-fastening effect of said portion of thread 11 being solely due to the angular span of said passage 26, chosen to be less than a span of said portion of thread 11. The precision of such dimensions is more easily controlled than a radial dimension and can go below a tenth of a millimeter, in particular in the case of injection molding of said tube head 3 and/or said cap 30.

In the illustrated embodiment, said plug is in said waiting position after having passed through said passage 26. In other words, said guide path 21 allows passage from the initial position to the waiting position and said thread 22 allows passage from the waiting position to the closed position.

Advantageously, one of the two between the guide path 21 and the thread 22 induces screwing in a clockwise direction of rotation of the cap 10, the other of the two between the guide path 21 and the thread 22 inducing screwing in a counterclockwise direction of rotation of the cap 10. Here, the guide path 21 induces counterclockwise rotation of the cap 10 and the thread 22 induces clockwise rotation of the cap 10.

Preferably, the neck 10 comprises the guide path 21 as well as the thread 22 while the cap 30 comprises the thread portion 11.

Here, the first stop 24 forms one end of said guide path 21. Said assembly further comprises a shoulder 27 connecting an origin of a first thread 28 of the thread 22 and the first stop 24. Thus, the origin of the first thread 28 and the first stop 24 are axially distant. The first stop 24 in particular forms a rounded portion joining said guide path 21 and said shoulder 27.

The second stop 25 is formed, for example, by an axial wall. The second stop 25 forms the origin of a second thread 29 of the thread 22.

Said second thread 29 advantageously forms a low axial stop when said portion of thread 11 crosses said passage 26.

Preferably, said assembly comprises a third stop 31 configured to block screwing of the cap 30 after placing the cap 30 on the neck 10 and more precisely, here, when said cap 30 is in the waiting position.

In other words, in the waiting position, the thread portion 11 is blocked axially upwards by the first stop 24 and downwards by the second thread 29, in unscrewing by the second stop 25 and in screwing by the third stop 31.

To Figures 7 and 8 , the portion of net 11 is crossing the passage 26 while at figures 9 and 10 , said portion of net 11 is positioned between the different stops mentioned in the previous paragraph.

Said third stop 31 comprises, for example, a wall 32, extending transversely from a lower wall of the thread 22. Said wall 32 here has a constant thickness. Said assembly has a sharp angle between the wall 32 and the second thread 29. Said wall 32 extends radially between a bottom of the thread 22 and a free distal edge and axially between said second thread 29 and a free radial edge.

Preferably, said wall 32 extends axially in a partial manner through said thread 22. The axial extension of said wall 32 makes it possible to adjust the torque necessary to pass said third stop 31.

Preferably, an angular extension between the second 25 and the third 31 stops is just greater than an angular extension of the thread portion 11. Said third stop 31 is here positioned under said first thread 28 while being slightly angularly offset from said first stop 24 in the screwing direction.

Said guide path 21 is formed, for example, by a third thread ending on the first stop 24.

Once said third stop 31 has been crossed, said portion of thread 11 is configured to slide by screwing between the first 28 and the second 29 threads.

In the continuation of the movement of the cap 30, said neck 10 and said cap 30 are configured to guide the cap 30 on the neck 10, here by screwing, to the closed position via an intermediate position, illustrated in Figures 13 and 14 , in which the punch has finished piercing said cover 5. In the case where, as illustrated, the punch 7 comprises several teeth 50, said intermediate position is the position occupied by the punch 7 while all the teeth 50 have pierced said cover 5. In addition, as already mentioned, said neck 10 and said cap 30 are configured so that the guiding, here the screwing, of the cap 30 onto the neck 10 causes a deformation of material making the closure watertight.

According to a second aspect, said assembly is configured so that the passage through the intermediate position takes place prior to the deformation of material making the closure watertight. Such a configuration is obtained by the choice of the axial dimensions of the punch 7 and neck 10. Such sequencing makes it possible to avoid having to provide too high a torque compared to a configuration in which the sealing would begin before the end of the drilling. The sealing could, however, be carried out during the cutting of the cover 5, after the end of the drilling. It has in fact been noted by the applicant that the torque required for cutting is much lower than that for drilling.

Advantageously, said cap 10 and said neck 30 are configured so that said intermediate position is located downstream of the waiting position in the direction of guidance, in particular screwing, of the cap 30 towards the closed position. In other words, in the example illustrated in relation to the first aspect, said assembly is configured so that said portion of thread 11 has passed said third stop 31 before the piercing of the seal begins.

By taking in combination the figures 11 And 12 as well as the Figure 17 , it is noted that the punch 7 comes into contact with the cover 5 while the thread portion 11 is still in interaction with the third stop 31. This being the case, the drilling of the cover 5 does not begin immediately following the screwing movement. Indeed, the cover 5 has elasticity so that it is deformed before being drilled. Thus, drilling only begins in a position occurring between that illustrated in figures 11 And 12 and the one illustrated in figures 13 and 14 .

Advantageously, as will be developed below in relation to the third aspect, said assembly further comprises a non-return stop 33 configured to prevent the cap 30 from leaving the closed position. Even more advantageously, said assembly is configured so that said non-return stop 33 is crossed by the cap 10 after passing into the intermediate position. In other words, as illustrated in Figures 13 and 14 , said plug 10 does not yet cooperate with said non-return stop 33 when the plug 10 is in said intermediate position.

The sealing of the closure can be obtained in different ways. Here, it is a seal obtained by cooperation between an internal wall of the neck 10 and an external wall of the punch 5.

As illustrated in figures 17 to 19 , said punch 7 comprises a base 34 having an external cylindrical portion 35 and said neck comprises an internal cylindrical portion 36, said internal 36 and external 35 cylindrical portions being intended to be crushed against each other to achieve the sealing of said closure. In this way, a cylinder-to-cylinder seal is achieved which has the advantage of requiring a lower torque than that required for the compression of a seal which would be located on an upper free edge of the neck.

Said stopper 30 here comprises a top 37 from which said base 34 of the punch 7 extends. Said punch 7 further comprises an external chamfer 38 extending said base 34 and connected to a distal part 39 of the punch 7. Said neck 10 comprises at its end opening outwards an internal chamfer 40 extended axially by said portion 36 of the neck 10 against which the base 34 of the punch 7 is intended to be crushed.

To the Figure 17 , upstream of the intermediate position, according to the direction of screwing of the cap 30, it is noted that the chamfer 38 of the punch is axially at a distance from the chamfer 40 of the neck. figure 18 , in said intermediate position, the chamfer 38 of the punch has just come into contact with the chamfer 40 of the neck. At the figure 19 , in position of closing, a compression of material has occurred between the base 34 of the punch and the corresponding portion 36 of the neck 10.

Advantageously, in order to limit the necessary torque, said distal part 39 of the punch has an external diameter less than an internal diameter of the neck 10.

According to a third aspect according to the invention, the side skirt 23 is provided with at least one notch 60 opening radially and said neck 10 comprises a protrusion 61 configured to cooperate angularly with said notch 60 to block a withdrawal of the cap 30, once said cap is in said closed position. Said protrusion 61 forms the non-return stop 33 mentioned above.

Such a non-return stop 33 has the advantage of not being located in the thread 23. It is therefore not likely to be damaged by the portion of thread 11 when the latter passes towards the closed position. In other words, in the illustrated embodiment, said portion of thread 11 reaches said closed position by passing at a distance from said protrusion 61.

Preferably, said notch 60 is open on a free edge of said skirt 23 so as to give radial elasticity to the plug 30 in the vicinity of said notch 60. Such elasticity has numerous advantages. First of all, it limits the torque necessary to reach the closed position by crossing said non-return stop 33. In addition, it facilitates axial demolding of the thread portion 11. The notch 60 is, for example, substantially rectangular.

Advantageously, said protrusion 61 is configured to radially spread said skirt 23 before the cap 30 reaches the closed position. For this, according to the invention, said protrusion has an edge provided with an inclined portion 62 and a straight portion 63. Said straight portion 63 axially extends the inclined portion 62 towards a base of the neck 10. Said inclined portion 62 is configured to radially spread said cap 10 by pressing on a free edge of said skirt 23 before the cap 10 reaches the closed position. Said straight portion 63 is located at a part of the protrusion 60 forming the non-return stop 33 for the cap 10 once in the closed position. More precisely, the notch 60 has an axial edge 64 coming to bear against a flank of said protrusion 33, the latter forming said non-return stop 33.

The protrusion 61 is formed, for example, by a wall extending radially from the external wall 14 of the neck. Said wall has an upper free edge 65 terminating the second thread 29. Said protrusion 61 extends axially from the terminal end 65 of said second thread 29, here forming a lower thread of the thread 22, to the base of the neck. 10. Said non-return stop 33 is intended to cooperate with the rear end 13 of the portion of thread 11.

Advantageously, said assembly further comprises a stop 70, in particular an angular stop, for the end of travel of the cap 10, in the closed position. Said end of travel stop 70 is configured to cooperate with said portion of thread 11, once said protrusion 61 is engaged in said notch 60. Said end of travel stop 70 is intended to cooperate with the front end 12 of the portion of thread 11. Said return stop 70 here extends axially between the first thread 28 and the base of the neck.

In the illustrated embodiment, said assembly comprises several said thread portions 11 and several said corresponding threads 22, in this case three, spaced 120° apart. Said assembly further comprises several said notches 60 and several said corresponding protrusions 61, here three, each of the thread portions 11 being situated angularly between two neighbors of said notches 61. Said side skirt 23 thus has legs having good radial flexibility between said notches 60, said thread portions being situated at the level of said legs.

In this multiple thread 22 configuration, the first thread 28 of one of the threads forms the second thread 29 of the neighboring thread 22.

In the upper part, the second stops 25 extend axially between an origin of the third thread forming the guide path 21 associated with one of the threads 22 and the second thread 29 of the neighboring thread 22 in the clockwise direction.

In the lower part, the end-of-travel stop 70 of one of the threads 22 is located angularly, in the clockwise direction, just upstream of the protrusion 60 of the neighboring thread 22 in the counterclockwise direction. The first thread 28 of one of the threads 22 continues with a terminal portion of the second thread 29 of the neighboring thread 22 in the counterclockwise direction. As illustrated in figures 17 to 20 , said tooth(s) 50 are advantageously configured to pierce and then cut said cover 5. Said tooth(s) 50 extend from a free edge 80 of the punch 7.

According to a fourth aspect, at least one angular portion 81 of said free edge 80, called passage portion, is configured to remain in the neck 10 in said closed position as is more particularly apparent from the figure 19 . Such a configuration improves the rate of restitution of the product contained in the tube by allowing circulation of a fraction of the product located in the vicinity of a shoulder 4 of the tube head 3 in the neck 10 at the level of said passage portion 81. Advantageously, said passage portion 81 is flush with a lower end of the neck 10 opening into the interior volume of the tube.

Here, said teeth 50 are distributed over an angular portion 82 of the punch 7, called the cutting portion, delimited by two of said teeth 50 located angularly on either side of said cutting portion 82. Said passage edge 81 is formed from an angular portion of the punch complementary to said cutting portion 82.

As best illustrated in the figure 20 where a fictitious plane P extending orthogonally to said longitudinal axis A has been represented, said teeth 50 have apexes 51 axially offset from each other. Such a configuration makes it possible to limit the screwing torque by ensuring that the teeth 50 pierce the cover 5 successively. The axial offset of the apexes of the teeth 50 is increasing, in particular regularly, even more particularly linearly, in a direction of movement of the cap 10 towards said closed position, in other words, here, according to the screwing direction or clockwise direction (which corresponds to an anticlockwise direction at the figure 20 since this one is reversed). Thus the tooth 50 being located at a terminal end of the cutting portion 82 in the clockwise direction (counterclockwise at the figure 20 ) has the most prominent peak and meets the operculum 5 first.

According to a fifth aspect, said teeth 50 have a substantially identical height and extend axially from an angular portion of the free edge of the punch 7 having an axial offset from one tooth 50 to the other. For this, here, said free edge, in said cutting portion 82, is in the form of a ramp of increasing height in the clockwise direction (anticlockwise at figure 20 ). Such an identical height of the teeth makes it possible to limit their risk of breakage compared to a configuration in which we would encounter teeth that are too small.

As illustrated, said teeth 50 preferably have a substantially identical profile. This is, for example, a profile with a leading edge 52 extending substantially axially between said free edge 80 and each apex 51 and a return edge 53 extending inclinedly between each apex 51 and said free edge 80. Said apexes 51 are here formed at the junction of the leading edge 52, the return edge 53, an external flank 54 of the tooth and an inclined surface 55 formed in the thickness of the teeth 50.

In addition to the assembly shown in the preceding figures, said tube according to the invention comprises a skirt 102, partially illustrated, connected to said tube head 3.

Claims (10)

1. Assembly for closing a tube, said assembly comprising a tube head (3) provided with a neck (10) and a lid (5) closing said neck (10), said assembly further comprising a cap (30) comprising a punch (7) adapted to perforate said lid (5), said neck (10) and said cap (30) being configured to guide the cap (30) to a closing position in which said punch (7) has perforated said lid (5), assembly characterised in that said cap comprises a lateral skirt (23) provided with at least one notch (60) opening radially, said neck comprises a protrusion (61) configured to cooperate angularly with said notch (60) to block withdrawal of the cap (30), once said cap (30) is in said closure position, said protrusion (61) has an edge provided with an inclined portion (62) and a straight portion (63), said inclined portion (62) having configured to radially spread said cap (30) and said straight portion (63) being located at the level of a part of the protrusion (61) forming a non-return stop for the cap (30) once in the closure position.
2. Assembly according to claim 1 wherein said notch (60) is open to a free edge of said skirt (23) so as to impart radial resilience to the cap (30) in the vicinity of said notch (60).
3. Assembly according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a thread (22) and a thread portion (11) configured to cooperate with said thread (22) for screwing the cap (30) into said closing position.
4. Assembly according to the preceding claim configured for said thread portion (11) to reach said closure position by passing away from said protrusion (61).
5. Assembly according to any one of claims 3 or 4 wherein said protrusion (61) extends axially from a terminal end of a lower thread (29) of the thread (22).
6. Assembly according to any one of claims 3 to 5 further comprising an end stop (70) for the cap (30), in the closed position.
7. Assembly according to the preceding claim wherein the end-of-travel stop (70) is configured to cooperate with said thread portion (1), once said protrusion (61) is engaged in one of said notches (60).
8. Assembly according to any one of claims 3 to 7 comprising a plurality of said notches (60) and a plurality of said thread portions (11), each of the thread portions (11) being angularly located between two adjacent ones of said notches (60).
9. Assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said cap (30) comprises a service cap.
10. Tube comprising a closure assembly according to any of the preceding claims.

Images