HK1188193A - Push-pull closure for a beverage container - Google Patents

Description

Push-pull closure for a drinking container

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a push-pull closure for a drinking container, in particular for a drinking bottle or drinking cup.

Background

The push-pull closure (push-pull closure) has a spout (mundstock) accessible from the outside, which is arranged on a spout holder connectable to the drinking container so as to be axially displaceable. The mouth may be moved back and forth between the open and closed positions by teeth or by hand. In most cases, the closure is closed by pushing the mouth deeper into the mouth holder (push) and opened by pulling the mouth farther out of the mouth holder (pull). Such push-pull closures are characterized by the fact that no hand is usually required in order to open and close the closure. And are therefore widely used, in particular in the field of sports, for example in drinking bottles for cycling. However, due to the simple handling, such push-pull closures are also popular in many leisure activities and in children's drinking containers.

FR 2731680 a describes a push-pull closure with a closure cap for a snap-on drinking bottle. The mouth is movably disposed within the flange and is capable of assuming a closed position, a maximum open position, and an intermediate open position. Furthermore, the closure cap has a mechanism for temporarily locking the spout in a desired position relative to the flange. The mechanism is arranged externally on the mouth and is adapted to abut against the inner wall of the closure. The locking means comprise projections which project from the periphery of the mouth and which, in the maximum opening position, bear with a flat upper stop face against the underside of the closure cap. The projection has a bevel on the underside in order to allow the mouth to be easily fitted into the flange. The removal of the mouthpiece requires the removal of the mouthpiece when the projection is strongly deformed or destroyed with a high expenditure of force.

DE 102008023904B 4 describes a push-pull closure for a drinking container, which has a mouthpiece, referred to as main body element, which has a through-opening and a fastening device with which the mouthpiece can be sealingly and detachably connected to an opening of the drinking container. The closure comprises a spout having a through-hole for the beverage, which can be inserted axially movably into the through-hole of the spout holder and has at least one locking section which can engage behind the through-hole of the spout holder. Furthermore, a locking element is provided, which can be detachably mounted on the inner side of the mouthpiece holder facing the drinking container. The locking element is arranged such that it projects at least partially into the through-opening of the mouth. The gap between the locking element and the mouth is dimensioned such that the locking section of the mouth cannot assume a position in which it does not engage behind the through-opening of the mouth holder when the mouth is inserted into the through-opening and the locking element rests against the inner side of the mouth holder. Such a closure is easy to clean and prevents the mouth from being pulled out completely unintentionally. It should be prevented in particular that the mouth is pulled out by the child and swallowed. The manufacture of such a closure, as well as its assembly and disassembly in one piece, is complicated by the fact that it comprises the constituent structure of the mouthpiece holder, the mouthpiece and the locking element.

Disclosure of Invention

Starting from this, it is an object of the invention to provide a push-pull closure which effectively prevents the spout from being pulled out unintentionally completely, can be produced economically and can be mounted and dismounted simply.

A push-pull closure for a drinking container according to the present invention has:

a mouthpiece holder having a through-hole and means for holding with which the mouthpiece holder can be sealingly and detachably fixed on the rim of the opening of the drinking container,

a plug which projects into the through-opening of the mouthpiece, there being a circumferential gap between the plug and the through-opening of the mouthpiece,

a plurality of slats arranged parallel to the plug around the plug, connected above with the mouthpiece, below with the plug,

a spout having a further through-opening for the beverage, which is axially displaceable, sealed on the outer periphery with respect to the through-opening of the spout holder and which is inserted in the surrounding gap with a plug accommodated therein,

at least one circumferential sealing element between the plug and the further through-hole, which sealing element blocks the passage for the liquid through the further through-hole in the closed position of the mouthpiece in the mouthpiece and releases the passage for the liquid of the further through-hole in the open position of the mouthpiece in the mouthpiece, and

a plurality of ribs extending axially on the periphery of the mouthpiece below, said ribs being made of a soft elastic material, axially extending recesses being present between the ribs, the mouthpiece being insertable into the mouthpiece such that the strips engage in the recesses, and the ribs engage in the recesses between the strips, a stop surface present on the upper edge of the ribs resting on the underside of the mouthpiece in the upper position of the mouthpiece, the strips bending adjacent ribs into the recesses when the mouthpiece is rotated relative to the mouthpiece, and the mouthpiece being able to be pulled out of the through-opening with a reduced pulling force.

In the pull-push closure according to the invention, the mouth is sealed on the outer periphery with respect to the through-opening in the mouth holder. Furthermore, the spout is axially movable into a closed position in which the at least one surrounding sealing element seals between the plug and the further through hole such that liquid cannot flow through the further through hole, that is to say the push-pull closure does not allow liquid to pass through. Furthermore, the spout is axially movable in the spout holder into an open position in which the sealing element releases the further through-opening and liquid can be extracted from the drinking container by pushing and pulling the closure. The closed position is preferably a lower position of the mouth and the open position is an upper position of the mouth. Furthermore, the mouth is fixed in the mouth holder by a stop surface, which is formed on the upper edge of the rib. That is to say that the stop surface rests against the underside of the mouth retainer in the upper position of the mouth in the mouth retainer and prevents the rib from passing through the through-opening of the mouth retainer. The stop surface is preferably a surface which is oriented perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the through-hole or the mouth. The stop surface is always designed such that a high pull-out force can be applied in order to pull the mouthpiece out of the mouthpiece holder. Preferably, a pull-out force of at least 65 newtons is applied for this purpose. When the pull-out force is sufficiently high, it is ensured that the mouth, in particular, cannot be pulled out and swallowed by the child inadvertently. The closure can still be easily removed for cleaning purposes. For this purpose, the slats engage in the interspaces between the ribs, while the ribs engage in the gaps between the slats. Thus, when the mouth is rotated in the mouth retainer, the slats press the adjacent ribs into the adjacent spaces. At this time, the rib is tightly abutted against the mouth, so that the mouth can be pulled out through the through hole with a small pulling-out force. It is advantageous here if the mouth rotates on a helical path during the withdrawal, so that the ribs rest flat on the mouth by the curvature achieved by the strip and the superposition of the drawn-in into the through-opening. The push-pull closure can thus be disassembled into its individual parts by purposefully superimposed rotation and pulling-off of the spout and the spout holder. Thereby preventing inadvertent withdrawal of the mouth or by the child. When the soft elastic rib is pulled out of the through hole of the mouthpiece, the rib is raised again to its undeformed initial position.

According to one embodiment, the mouthpiece holder has a sleeve-like section through which the through-opening extends. The sleeve-shaped section advantageously forms a guide for the mouth and an area for the sealed holding of the mouth in the mouth holder.

The through-opening is preferably centrally arranged in the mouthpiece holder. However, the through-opening can also be arranged eccentrically in the mouthpiece.

According to a further embodiment, the plug has a lower plug section with an enlarged diameter on the underside and/or an upper bore section with a reduced diameter on the top of the mouth, and in the closed position the mouth rests sealingly with the lower bore section of the further through-bore on the lower plug section and/or the plug section above the plug rests sealingly with the upper bore section of the further through-bore on the upper bore section of the further through-bore. Thereby effectively sealing the other through hole. Preferably, both the seal between the lower plug section and the lower section of the through-bore and the seal between the upper section of the through-bore and the upper plug section are used.

According to another embodiment, the plug has, on the outside, axially extending further ribs made of a soft elastic material, between which further axially extending interspaces are present. The additional ribs facilitate a high pull-out force for pulling the mouth out of the mouth holder in the axial direction and also facilitate a reduction of the forces for mounting and dismounting by screwing and pulling the mouth out of the mouth holder in a superimposed manner. In particular, the pull-out force is high when the additional rib is arranged directly radially below the rib when the mouth is inserted, so that the additional rib supports the rib internally. For mounting purposes, the ribs can be placed over the further recesses of the further ribs, so that the ribs are unsupported on the inside and can be deformed radially inward. Furthermore, upon disassembly, the rib can bend more easily over the further gap, since the mouth is not supported from the inside.

According to another embodiment, the cross section of the plug is gradually enlarged from top to bottom. Thereby further improving the sealing of the mouth in the mouth holder.

According to another embodiment, the plug protrudes from a disc, the strip being connected to the periphery of the disc. The disc is preferably a circular disc. This construction is particularly advantageous for producing the mouthpiece holder by injection molding.

According to a further embodiment, the mouth has an external bead at the upper end and/or the mouth has at least one circumferential sealing projection on the outer circumference between the upper end and the lower end, which sealing projection rests on the through-opening when the mouth is inserted into the through-opening of the mouth holder. The ridge makes it easy to open the closure with teeth and the sealing protrusion achieves a good sealing of the mouth in the through hole of the mouth holder.

The mouth is preferably provided with a further circumferential sealing projection below the rib, which sealing projection seals on the upper edge of the through-opening of the mouthpiece in the closed position of the mouth in the mouthpiece. Thereby achieving an additional seal in the closed position.

Each sealing protrusion is preferably made of a soft elastic material.

According to a further embodiment, two circumferential sealing projections are arranged at an axial distance from one another on the outer circumference of the mouth. The two sealing projections are preferably arranged on the outer circumference of the mouth in such a way that in the cleaning position of the mouth only one sealing projection rests sealingly on the through-opening in the interior of the mouth holder and cleaning medium can be introduced from both sides through the gap between the mouth and the through-opening.

According to a further embodiment, the through-opening has an upper lead-in chamfer at the upper end and/or the axial rib has a height which decreases progressively towards its lower end. This makes it possible to easily introduce the mouthpiece into the mouthpiece holder.

According to a further embodiment, the height of the axial rib is at least the same as its width. This allows the axial ribs to be easily bent into the recess in order to intentionally pull the mouth out of the through-opening of the mouth retainer.

According to another embodiment, the number of axially extending ribs is an integer multiple of the number of slats. Thereby facilitating the ability to always position the ribs between the slats. For this purpose, the ribs are preferably arranged uniformly distributed over the circumference of the mouth, while the slats are arranged uniformly distributed around the plug.

According to a further embodiment, the mouthpiece preferably has 9 to 18, preferably 12, axially extending ribs and/or the mouthpiece holder has 3 to 6, preferably 4, slats.

According to a further embodiment, the axially extending ribs have an inclined portion on the two outer longitudinal side edges and/or the slats have an inclined portion on the two inner longitudinal side edges. By means of these bevels, an automatic centering of the mouth on the strip is achieved during mounting. Furthermore, the bending of the ribs into the recess and thus the intentional loosening of the mouth from the mouth retainer are facilitated.

According to a further embodiment, the distance from the inclined portion of the axially extending rib to the base of the axially extending rib decreases gradually up to the lower end of the rib. Thereby facilitating the gradual bending of the rib from the lower end to the upper end.

According to a further embodiment, the axially extending rib has a lower lead-in chamfer on the lower end, which is oriented perpendicularly to the center axis of the through-opening. The lead-in chamfer facilitates mounting of the mouthpiece in the mouthpiece holder.

According to a further embodiment, the mouthpiece and/or the mouthpiece holder each consist overall of a soft-elastic material. Preferably, the mouthpiece and/or the mouthpiece holder are each made of silicone rubber. Optionally the mouthpiece and/or mouthpiece holder is made of a thermoplastic elastomer. Preferably, the mouth and/or the mouth retainer are each integral. Furthermore, the mouthpiece and/or the mouthpiece holder are each produced by injection molding.

Drawings

The invention is explained in detail below with the aid of the drawings of embodiments. In the drawings:

FIGS. 1a-h show: a side view of the push-pull closure in the closed position (fig. 1 a), a side view rotated 45 ° with respect to fig. 1a (fig. 1 b), a sectional view along the line C-C of fig. 1b (fig. 1C), a top view (fig. 1 d), a bottom view (fig. 1 e), a perspective view from obliquely above and from the side (fig. 1 f), a sectional view along the line H-H of fig. 1d (fig. 1 g), and an enlarged sectional view along the line I-I of fig. 1g (fig. 1H);

fig. 2a-f show: a view of the same push-pull closure in the open position opposite to that of fig. 1B (fig. 2 a), a cross-sectional view along the line B-B of fig. 2a (fig. 2B), a cross-sectional view along the line J-J of fig. 2B (fig. 2 c), an enlarged detail G of fig. 2B (fig. 2 d), a perspective view from obliquely above and from the side (fig. 2E), and an enlarged detail E of fig. 2E (fig. 2 f);

fig. 3a-b show: a view of the same push-pull closure in the cleaning position corresponding to fig. 2 (fig. 3 a), and a sectional view along the line K-K of fig. 3a (fig. 3 b);

fig. 4 shows a graph of the force on the ordinate for pulling out the mouthpiece from the mouthpiece holder purely axially and the number of pulls on the abscissa for tests with a plurality of identical push-pull closures.

Detailed Description

In this application, the directional terms "upper" and "lower" relate to the arrangement of the push-pull closure on the drinking container.

According to fig. 1 and 2, the push-pull closure 1 according to the invention comprises a mouthpiece holder 2 and a mouthpiece 3.

The mouth retainer 2 has a domed cover wall 4 and a surrounding annular flange 5 projecting outwardly from the outer edge of the cover wall 4. Furthermore, the mouthpiece holder 2 has a vertical, sleeve-like section 6, which is arranged on the top end of the covering wall 4. The sleeve-like portion 6 projects above the covering wall 4 to a greater extent and below the covering wall 4 to a lesser extent. A cylindrical through-hole 7 is provided in the sleeve-shaped section 6. The through-opening 7 has a lead-in chamfer 8 at the upper end, wherein the lead-in chamfer widens upward conically in a short section.

Three strips 9 project from the underside of the mouthpiece holder 2, parallel to the through-opening 7 and distributed uniformly around the latter. The web 9 is connected at the top to the part of the sleeve-shaped section 6 projecting from the underside of the covering wall 4 and to the adjacent region of the covering wall 4. The slats have a rectangular cross-section. The strip 9 is arranged so that its inner edge is flush with the through-hole 7. There are gaps 10 between the slats 9.

The slats are connected at the lower end to a circular ring-shaped plate 11. The plug 12 is erected vertically upward from the inner edge of the tray 11. The plug 12 has a lower plug section 13 with an enlarged diameter on the underside. The lower plug section 13 has a conical, slightly upwardly tapering shape. In addition, the plug 12 has an upper plug section 14, which likewise has an upwardly tapering conical shape. The taper angles of the plug sections 13, 14 are both very small.

The upper plug section 14 has, adjacent to the lower plug section 13, on the periphery, axially extending further ribs 15, between which further axially extending interspaces 16 are present. In this embodiment, there are twelve further ribs 15 and correspondingly twelve further groove-like recesses 16. The further ribs 15 have a trapezoidal or wavy cross section. The outer edge of which falls into an imaginary, upwardly tapering cone.

The further rib 15 ends at a distance from the upper end of the plug 12, so that the plug 12 is smooth on the outer circumference at the upper end.

The mouth 3 is substantially cylindrical. There is another cylindrical through hole 17 in the inner mouth. The further through-hole 17 has a shorter upper hole section 18 with a smaller diameter. In the upper bore portion 18, a circumferential bead-type inner sealing projection 10 is provided. The sealing projection is dimensioned such that the upper bore section 10 can be sealingly inserted over the upper end of the upper plug section 14. The further through-opening 17 has an inner diameter which is dimensioned such that it can be inserted with its lower end sealingly onto the lower plug section 13.

The mouth 3 has an outwardly projecting rib 20 on the upper end, which is rounded on the outer circumference.

Below the rib 20, the mouth 3 has a short conical sealing projection 21 on the outer periphery.

Approximately centrally, the mouth 3 has a circumferential, rib-like outer sealing projection 22 on the outside.

Furthermore, the mouth 3 has a further peripheral, rib-like outer sealing projection 23 on the outside, approximately in the center of the lower half.

Below this outer sealing projection, the mouth 3 has on the outer periphery a plurality of radially outwardly projecting, axially extending ribs 24. These ribs are evenly distributed over the circumference. Between adjacent ribs 24, in each case axially extending recesses 25 are present, which are groove-shaped in the exemplary embodiment. In this embodiment, there are twelve ribs 24 and twelve voids 25.

The ribs 24 each have a flat stop surface 26 on the top, which is oriented perpendicularly to the center axis of the mouth 3.

In the following, each rib 24 has inclined portions 27, 28 on the edges of its two outer longitudinal sides (see fig. 2 f). The inclined portions 27, 28 are flat surfaces. The distance from the inclined portions 27, 28 to the base of the rib 24 gradually decreases toward the lower end of the rib 24.

Furthermore, each rib 24 has a further lead-in chamfer 29 on the underside, which lead-in chamfer is formed here by a plane which is perpendicular to a plane containing the longitudinal axis of the mouth 3. The inclined portions 27, 28 are provided on both sides of the additional lead-in inclined surface 29.

The maximum height of each rib 24 exceeds its width. Further, the maximum height of each rib 24 corresponds to the width of the adjacent gap 25.

The mouthpiece holder 2 and the mouthpiece 3 are each made in one piece from silicone, preferably by injection molding.

To assemble the push-pull closure 1, the lower end of the mouthpiece 3 is inserted into the upper end of the sleeve-shaped section 6. Due to the lead-in bevels 8, 29, the mouth 3 can be inserted well into the through-opening 7. The ribs 24 are now elastically compressed in the radial direction until they leave the lower end of the sleeve-like portion 6 and enter the gaps 10 between the strips 9. Here, the rib has its original shape.

The mouthpiece 3 can be rotated in the mouthpiece holder 2 such that the three strips 9 each engage in the space 25 between a pair of adjacent ribs 24.

The push-pull closure 1 can be sealingly fixed on the opening edge of the container. Here, the annular flange 5 rests on the upper edge of the container opening and is bridged thereon by, for example, a threaded ring. The threaded ring is screwed internally onto the external thread of the container. Whereby the annular flange 5 is sealingly pressed against the upper container rim.

In the closed position, the mouth 3 is pushed maximally into the mouth holder 2. According to fig. 1e, the sealing projection 22 rests sealingly against the through-opening 7. The conical sealing projection 21 bears against the lead-in ramp 8 at the top.

Furthermore, the inner sealing projection 19 bears sealingly against the upper end of the plug 12, and the lower end of the further through-opening 17 bears sealingly against the lower plug section 13.

In this state, liquid cannot flow out through the push-pull closure 1.

To open the push-pull closure 1, the mouth 3 is pulled high until the rib 24 rests with its stop face 26 against the lower edge of the sleeve-like portion 6. This is shown in fig. 2. Liquid from the container on which the push-pull closure 1 is screwed can reach the lower end of the spout 3 through the gaps 10 between the three strips 9. Liquid can flow between the spout 3 and the plug 12 along the further recess 16, out over the plug 12 and out through the upper bore section 18 of the spout 3. The two sealing projections 22, 23 seal in the through-hole 7.

Fig. 3 shows the mouth 3 in an intermediate position between the closed position and the open position, in which it can only be pulled out of the mouth holder 2 in part. This position is a cleaning position in which liquid can enter the gap between the mouthpiece 2 and the mouth 3 both from above and from below in order to clean this region. The passage of liquid is prevented only by the upper sealing protrusion 22.

For complete cleaning, the push-pull closure 1 can be easily disassembled purposefully. For this purpose, the mouth 3 is brought into the open position of fig. 2. The mouth 3 and mouth retainer 2 are then rotated relative to each other so that the slats 9 flex adjacent ribs 24 into adjacent voids 25. While pulling the mouth 3 and the mouth holder 2 away from each other. Thereby, the rib 24 is bent in a spiral-like motion and pulled into the through hole 7. When all the ribs 24 enter the through hole 7, the mouth 3 can be easily pulled out from the mouth holder 2. The separate parts can be thoroughly cleaned and reassembled in the manner described above.

Fig. 4 shows that in five identical push-pull closures 1, the pull-out force for pulling the mouthpiece 3 out of the mouthpiece holder 3 is always above a minimum of 65 newtons. The above minimum can be maintained even if the push-pull closures are disassembled and reassembled twenty times.

Claims (15)

1. A push-pull closure for a drinking container having

A mouthpiece holder (2) having a through-opening (7) and a means (5) for holding, by means of which the mouthpiece holder can be fixed sealingly and detachably on the edge of the opening of the drinking container,

a plug (12) which protrudes into the through-opening (7) of the mouthpiece holder (2), a circumferential gap being present between the plug (12) and the through-opening (7) of the mouthpiece holder,

a plurality of strips (9) arranged parallel to the plug (12) and around the plug (12), which are connected at the top to the mouthpiece (2) and at the bottom to the plug (12),

a spout (3) having a further through-opening (17) for the beverage, which is fitted into the surrounding gap in an axially displaceable manner and in a manner sealed on the outer periphery with respect to the through-opening (7) of the mouthpiece holder and in which further through-opening (17) a plug (12) is accommodated,

at least one circumferential sealing element (22, 23) between the plug (12) and the further through-opening (17), which seals off the passage of the liquid through the further through-opening (17) in the closed position of the spout (3) in the mouthpiece (2) and releases the passage of the liquid through the further through-opening (17) in the open position of the spout (3) in the mouthpiece (2), and

a plurality of ribs (24) extending axially below on the periphery of the mouth (3), said ribs being made of a soft elastic material, axially extending interspaces (25) being present between the ribs, the mouth (3) being insertable into the mouth holder (2) in such a way that the strips (9) engage in the interspaces (25) and the ribs (24) engage in the recesses (10) between the strips (9), a stop surface (26) being present on the upper edge of the ribs (24) resting on the underside of the mouth holder (2) in the upper position of the mouth (3), the strips (9) bending the adjacent ribs (24) into the interspaces (25) and the mouth (3) being extractable from the through-opening (7) of the mouth holder with a reduced extraction force when the mouth (3) is rotated relative to the mouth holder (2).

2. Push-pull closure according to claim 1, characterized in that the mouthpiece holder (2) has a sleeve-like section (6) through which the through-hole (7) of the mouthpiece holder extends.

3. Push-pull closure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the plug (12) has a lower plug section (13) with an enlarged diameter underneath and/or the spout (3) has an upper bore section (18) with a reduced diameter of the further through bore (17) on top, and in the closed position the spout (3) rests sealingly with the lower bore section of the further through bore (17) against the lower plug section (13) and/or the plug (12) rests sealingly with the upper plug section (14) against the upper bore section (18) of the further through bore (17).

4. Push-pull closure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plug (12) has axially extending further ribs (15) on the outside, which are made of a soft elastic material, between which further ribs axially extending further interspaces (16) are present.

5. Push-pull closure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cross-section of the plug (12) is gradually enlarged from top to bottom.

6. Push-pull closure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the plug (12) upstands from a disc (11), the slats (9) being connected to the periphery of the disc (11).

7. Push-pull closure according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the mouth (3) has a rib (23) on the outside at the upper end and/or the mouth has at least one circumferential sealing projection (22, 23) on the outer circumference between the upper end and the lower end, which sealing projection rests on the through-hole (7) of the mouth holder when the mouth (3) is fitted into the through-hole (7) of the mouth holder.

8. Push-pull closure according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the through hole (7) of the mouth retainer has an upper lead-in chamfer (8) at the upper end and/or the rib (24) has a height which decreases gradually towards its lower end.

9. Push-pull closure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the height of the ribs (24) is at least the same as their width.

10. Push-pull closure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the number of ribs (24) is an integer multiple of the number of slats (9).

11. Push-pull closure according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it has 9 to 18, preferably 12 ribs (24) and/or 3 to 6 slats (9).

12. Push-pull closure according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the ribs (24) have an inclined portion (27, 28) on both outer longitudinal side edges and/or the slats on both inner longitudinal side edges.

13. Push-pull closure according to claim 12, characterized in that the spacing of the inclined portions (27, 28) of the rib (24) to the base of the rib (24) decreases gradually towards the lower end of the rib (24).

14. Push-pull closure according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the rib (24) has on the lower end a further lead-in chamfer (29) oriented perpendicularly to the central axis of the through hole (7) of the mouth retainer.

15. Push-pull closure according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the mouthpiece (3) and/or the mouthpiece holder (2) consist of a soft-elastic material, preferably silicone rubber and/or a thermoplastic elastomer.