FR2564071A1 - Sealed container with manual opening for various products - Google Patents

Abstract

Container with manual opening for various products comprising a box-shaped part connected by a flange to a lid bearing against the flange and welded to the latter and breakable members provided between the lid and the flange of the box-shaped part, characterised in that a groove is delimited in the flange against one side of the external peripheral wall of the box-shaped part, in that an annular rim is provided at the base of the lid, in that a peripheral channel is provided in the annular rim so as to correspond at least in part to the groove and in that the part of the flange and of the annular rim located beyond the groove and the peripheral channel is joined together in a sealed and permanent manner.

Description

 The present invention relates to a new sealed container for various products and with manual opening which can advantageously be made of plastic and which is also tamper-proof.

 The container of the invention also makes it possible, if necessary, to bring about the sterilization of the products contained.

 In addition, the container of the invention has a cover which can allow its reuse after a first opening.

The prior art has already made known containers containing a boot-shaped part, a cover and means which can be torn apart to separate the cover from the box; this is the case of the embodiments described in FR-Ai 335 350, the
US-A-2,941,660, US-A-3,463,347 or FR-A-2,409,202.

 It appeared that the tight closure and the ease of subsequent opening present difficulties, either because of the flexibility of the material of the boot and of the cover, or of the fact that the material is more or less brittle when it has aged and this especially when the product it contains has been sterilized because sterilization results in accelerated aging of the material of the boot and of the cover.

 The present invention overcomes the above drawbacks.

 According to the invention, the container with manual opening for various products, comprising a box-shaped part connected by a flange to a cover bearing on the flange and welded thereto, and rupture members provided between the cover and the flange of the box-shaped part, is characterized in that a groove is delimited in the flange against one side of the external peripheral wall of the box-shaped part, in that an annular flange is provided at the base of the cover, in that a peripheral groove is provided in the annular rim to correspond at least in part to the groove and in that the part of the flange and the annular rim lying beyond the groove and the groove device are joined together in a sealed and non-removable manner.

 The object of the invention is shown, by way of example in the appended drawings to which the following description refers.

 Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a container according to the invention.

 Figs. 2 and 3 are partial sectional elevations on a larger scale showing a variant and illustrating two characteristic positions of the box part and of the cover which covers it.

 Fig. 4 is a schematic elevation illustrating the procedure for a first opening of the container.

 Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation, similar to FIG. 3, illustrating a development of the invention.

 Fig. 6 is a view taken substantially along line VI-VI of FIG. 5.

 The container illustrated in the drawings comprises a part 1 forming a box and delimiting a bottom 2 from which protrudes a rising peripheral wall 3 forming externally and at a distance from its upper edge 4 a peripheral flange 5.

 The segment 6, which extends from the upper edge 4 to above the flange 5 is used for guiding the vertical edge 7 of a cover 8. The vertical edge 7 of the cover delimits, at its lower part, a rim annular 9 which corresponds to the flange 5 of the body.

 Both the box 1 and the cover 8 are made of a plastic, weldable thermoplastic and could withstand a high sterilization temperature, that is to say at least 105 ° C. and preferably about 1300 ° C. Many plastics can be used to satisfy the above conditions, for example polypropylene, wine polychiorides, polyamides, polyacetals, etc. Polypropylene is particularly advantageous, both in terms of cost and results that it provides, particularly when the container has undergone sterilization in the range of temperatures indicated above, during which this material, as well as most of the other materials mentioned, undergoes accelerated aging tending to increase the hardness.

 The flange 5 has a groove 10- whose side 1 Od is formed by the external wall of the body 1 and whose side 10b is advantageously vertical or slightly undercut.

 Beyond the groove 10, the flange 5 delimits a ring 11 the top of which is for example flat. The flange 5 is shaped somewhat like a console so that the ring 11 is as rigid as possible, in particular under the effect of vertical loads which can be applied to it.

 The annular rim 9 of the cover 7 defines a groove 12 over its entire periphery. One side of the groove 12 is delimited by the outer side of the vertical edge 7 of the cover, when this fallen edge has the same thickness in section as that of the body 1 so that the groove 12 is located above the edge 10b of the groove 10.

 Beyond the groove 12, the annular rim 9 delimits a ring 13 whose outside diameter corresponds to that of the ring 11.

 As shown in fig. 1, the bottom of the cover 8 is separated from the upper edge 4 by an interval so as not to come into contact together when the rings 11 and the annular rim 13 are applied one on the other.

 When the box-forming part described above has received the product which it must contain and the cover has been put in place, the annular rim 13 is welded by vibration, in particular by ultrasound by means of sonotrodes, to the ring 11.

 Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate a variant in which the flange 5 is shaped a little like a console so that the ring 11 is as rigid as possible, in particular under the force of vertical loads which can be applied to it.

In addition, the ring 13 has a rib 14 forming an energy concentrator facilitating the execution of the weld 16.

 Figs. 2 and 3 also show immediately outside the groove 10, a knife 16 which is formed over the entire periphery of the ring 11 by a V-shaped groove 17. The drawing then shows that the knife 16 corresponds to the groove 12.

 When you want to open the container made as in fig. 1 or in figs. 2 and 3, it is grasped, for example between the thumb and the index finger, and a force f1 (fig. 4) is applied to a part of the cover which is applied over only a short length of the periphery.

In this way, even if the force f1 is not very high, it generates at the edge 10b of the groove or at the level of the knife 16 a practically punctual force which produces the rupture of the segment 18 (fig. 3) forming the bottom. of the groove 12.

 The operator then exerts a force at f2 (fig. 4), which has the effect of continuing to break the segment 18.

 Fig. 4 shows the progressive deformation that it is possible to give to the cover 8 to produce the rupture described above. We then proceed step by step, that is to say that a next effort is exerted at f and so on.

 When the entire segment 18 has been broken, which is facilitated by the knife 16 when it exists, the cover 8 can be removed by tearing or rotation combined with a tearing. To facilitate gripping of the cover 7, it is advantageous for the latter to have roughness or bosses which are not shown so as not to complicate the drawing.

 The removal of the cover obviously gives access to the interior of the container which can then be closed since the cover can be replaced and that it can possibly be engaged up to the bottom of the groove 10 thereby ensuring a very good closure. The cover is capable of withstanding relatively high compressive forces without risk of breaking the segment 18 although it serves to break this segment. Indeed, the opening by the means described is only possible by exerting a practically punctual force and by applying this force gradually over the entire periphery of the cover. Consequently, a force exerted on the whole of the cover should be very high to break the whole of the segment 18. Indeed, such a force distributed uniformly, or almost uniformly, would not tend to produce the curve 19, shown diagrammatically in FIG. 4, which alone allows the creation of the point force producing the first rupture.

 Although the presence of the ring 11 and the annular rim is not troublesome in most cases, after a first opening of the container, it is possible, if necessary, to eliminate this ring and this rim. For this, as illustrated in figs. 5 and 6, an arcuate slot 19 is formed below the ring 11 to extend to a groove 20 formed below the ring 11 against the rising external wall 3. The groove 20 delimits with the bottom from the groove 10 a segment 21 which can be easily broken when the cover is removed and pressure or traction is exerted on the cantilever projecting part constituted by the ring 11 and the annular flange 13 which are welded together.

Claims (6)

 l - Container with manual opening for various products comprising a box-shaped part connected by a flange to a cover resting on the flange and closed therewith and breaking members provided between the cover and the flange of the part in box-shaped, characterized in that a groove is delimited in the flange against one side of the peripheral wall alternates with the box-shaped part, in that an annular rim is provided at the base of the cover, in that 'a peripheral groove is provided in the annular rim to correspond at least in part to the groove and in that the part of the flange and of the annular rim lying beyond the groove and the peripheral groove is tightly joined and cannot be dismantled.  2 - Container according to claim 1, characterized by a knife (16) formed by the ring (5) opposite the segment (18) of the annular rim 13 of the cover (7).  3 - Container according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the flange (5) delimits beyond the groove (10) a ring (11) with a planar surface welded over its entire length and over at least part of its width at an annular rim (13) of the cover (8).  4 - Container according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by a rib (14) forming an energy concentrator formed between the annular flange (13) and the ring (11).  5 - Container according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the flange (5) is shaped like an insole to increase the rigidity in the direction of the compressive forces that can be applied to it.  6 - Container according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by a breaking groove (19) formed in the flange (5) from its underside and extending from the periphery to a delimited groove (20) along the rising wall (3) of the box portion.