Description

The present invention relates generally to product packaging, in particular to packaging of fluid products and the like. The present invention in particular relates to a closure system for a container and a container or parts or sub-units of a container with such a closure system.

Many different types of packages or containers are available for packaging non-solid products of the type which are capable of flowing, such as fluid or fluidized materials, including liquids, pastes, powders, and the like, which substances are collectively and generically referred to herein as "fluids".

Some packages include a self-sealing dispensing valve, which permits a selected amount of fluid to be discharged from the package, and then reseals to close the package.

Such a self-sealing dispensing valve and a respective product packaging is for example known from the European patent EP 0 545 678 Bl disclosing a self-sealing valve being attached to a respective container.

It is an object of the present invention to enhance the performance and/or usability and/or user friendliness, while keeping or even enhancing possible further requirements for the closure system.

This object is solved by a closure system for a container according to claim 1 and a container with such a closure system according to claim 16. Claims 2 to 15 relate to specific advantageous realizations of the closure system according to claim 1.

The closure system for a container that has an interior where a product may be stored comprises a peripheral wall for extending from said container around an opening to the container interior. This peripheral wall can be part of a closure or closure system, being separate from a container and attachable to the container, however it can be also part of the container itself, or it can be releasably or unreleasably attached to the container or part of the container, like e.g. a shoulder of a closure or a container, especially a tube-like container.

The closure system according to the present invention further comprises a self-closing dispensing valve being mounted in said closure system, wherein said dispensing valve extends across said opening to the container. The self-closing dispensing valve does thereby, in its rest position, define or separate said interior of said container from a discharge side or outer side.

The term "rest position" of said self-closing dispensing valve is the position and/or form of the dispensing valve in case there is no pressure, e.g. discharge pressure, applied to said valve, or in other words, there is no pressure differential between both sides of the valve, i.e. said interior of said container and the discharge or outer side.

Said self-closing dispensing valve has a marginal valve flange being sealed about said opening of said container, said dispensing valve further having a valve head with an interior and an exterior side. The "interior side" of the valve head is the side which is directed to the interior of said container, while the "exterior side" of the valve head is the side directed to the discharge side or outer side.

Said dispensing valve further has an orifice extending through the valve head, between the interior and the exterior side, which opens to permit fluid flow therethrough in response to a predetermined discharge pressure and which closes to shut off fluid flow therethrough upon removal of the predetermined discharge pressure. The fluid flow in response to a predetermined discharge pressure is therefore in a direction from said interior of said container to said discharge or outer side, therefore in dispensing direction.

The closure system according to the present invention further comprises a member, which functions both as a sealing and a temper-evident member. This combined sealing and temper- evident member closes said opening to the container on said discharge side, i.e. on an outer or discharge side of the dispense valve. In other words, in a discharge direction from said interior of the container to said discharge side, the combined sealing and temper-evident member is positioned behind or after said dispensing valve. The combined sealing and temper-evident member is connected to said closure system via a predetermined breaking linkage. This predetermined breaking linkage could be a predetermined braking point or a predetermined braking line, preferably completely surrounding the combined sealing and temper-evident member and preferably being the only connection between the combined sealing and temper-evident member to said closure system, preferably to said peripheral wall of said closure systems or elements or extensions of such a peripheral wall.

Said combined sealing and temper-evident member furthermore comprises an opening element, which can be gripped by the user to open or tear-off said combined sealing and temper- evident member. This opening element is preferably a pull element or a pull-tab lid. Said opening or pull element is arranged such that the user can open or tear off said combined sealing and temper-evident member, while during this opening the predetermined breaking point or linkage or line will be destroyed.

According to the present invention the combined sealing and temper-evident member is, in its original or closed position, i.e. before a first opening by the user, arranged such that the dispensing valve cannot open to permit fluid flow through its orifice, even when said predetermined discharge pressure is applied or even in case said predetermined discharge pressure is even exceeded. The reason therefor being that it is necessary for the self-closing dispensing valve to move from its rest position and/or to deform from its rest position, in which the orifice is closed, in order to permit a fluid flow, while, however, due to the arrangement of the combined sealing and temper-evident member, such a movement and/or deformation is not possible. The combined sealing and temper-evident member according to the present invention is therefore arranged such that any movement and/or deformation or any other reaction of the dispensing valve, in response to the application of a discharge pressure or a differential pressure, which would be necessary to allow a fluid flow through an orifice, is securely prevented, at least in normal circumstances, therefore in situations where the device is not applied to a pressure or utilization, which might damage the device or certain parts of the device.

The closure system according to the present invention thereby has the advantage of both providing the very advantageous functions of a self-closing dispensing valve with a reliable tern- per-evident member, clearly indicating to the user, whether the container is still sealed, or whether it has been partly or fully opened in beforehand.

Advantageously this temper-evident member does, at the same time, provide a full sealing function, so that the interior of a container can, before first opening, be completely sealed.

Due to the specific arrangement of the combined sealing and temper-evident member on the one hand and the self-closing dispensing valve on the other hand, the closure system according to the present invention also succeeds in avoiding that any fluid or product stored in the container could, e.g. during transport or while exhibited in stores, exit through the self- dispensing valve, which would cause the product to be at the outside or exterior side of the dispensing valve or at the inner side of the combined sealing and temper-evident member or in an intermediate space between the self-closing dispensing valve and the combined sealing and temper-evident member. The liquid or product stored in a container will therefore, before first opening of the combined sealing and temper-evident member, not only remain behind said sealing and temper-evident member, but also "behind" or on the interior side of the self- closing dispensing valve.

This has the advantage that, before first opening of the sealing and temper-evident member, no product can flow through the dispensing valve, thereby avoiding a contact of the product or fluid with the sealing and temper-evident member, which could e.g. be considered by the user as some kind of contamination or which could raise doubts of the user regarding the integrity or sealing of the interior of the container.

It is a further advantage of the invention that before first opening of the sealing and temper- evident member, a fluid or product stored in the container can, at least not fully, flow into the orifice or slits in the self-closing dispensing valve, which has the effect that the dispensing valve is not or at least less strained or stressed before first opening, thereby also increasing expected lifetime and correct functioning during lifetime.

The provision of both a combined sealing and temper-evident member and the self-closing dispensing valve and especially the relative arrangement or positioning of these two elements therefore provide advantages, which clearly go beyond the advantage of each of these elements separately. Preferably the self-closing dispensing valve is provided in a form of a slit valve, while preferably one or more slits are provided in the valve head. In one specific embodiment, the dispensing valve has two slits in the valve head, being perpendicular to each other in form of a cross. However, other slit designs with 1, 3 or more slits are also possible, depending on the kind of fluid or product or also depending on the amount of product to be dispensed.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the combined sealing and temper-evident member comprises a plate or a flat member, preferably a disk covering said opening. Preferably the combined sealing and temper-evident member is in a form of a plate or disk, preferably a plate or a disk with an essentially uniform thickness, preferably having a circular form, essentially corresponding to the cross section of the opening. Preferably this combined sealing and temper-evident member has a thickness of 0,2 mm to 3 mm, more preferably from 0,5 mm to 2 mm, and it is preferably made of the same material as other elements of the closure system, especially the same material as the peripheral wall.

Preferably the peripheral wall of the closure system and the combined sealing and temper- evident member are a uniform or single element, which can e.g. be manufactured by blow molding or the like.

The combined sealing and temper-evident member is preferably arranged such that it closes the opening to the container in a direction, being essentially perpendicular to the discharge direction of the opening.

It is further preferred that the combined sealing and temper-evident member is arranged in the vicinity of the dispensing valve or in the vicinity of at least the valve head of the dispensing valve in its rest position, preferably without being in direct contact with the valve or at least the valve head of the dispensing valve. This has the advantage that the dispensing valve has, in its rest position, no direct contact to the sealing and temper-evident member, thereby avoiding any risk of being attached thereto, if it is only for friction reasons.

The distance of the combined sealing and temper-evident member to the dispensing wall, measured at the closest distance between these two elements, is preferably in an area of about 0,2 mm to 2 mm. According to a preferred embodiment, the distance between these two elements is between 10% and 200% of the thickness of the valve head, or, in case the valve head has different thicknesses, of the thickest part of the valve head, alternatively relative to the thickness of the valve head in the area of the slits, or more preferably, especially in case there are at least 2 slits crossing each other, at the cross section of the slits. In another preferred embodiment the distance is between 10% to 100% of the thickness of the valve head, or preferably between 10% and 50%.

In an alternative embodiment, however, it is also possible that the sealing and temper-evident member is at least partly in contact with the valve head, preferably in the area or in the vicinity of the slits or the orifice of the valve head. In another embodiment, however, the contact could be also in an outer area of the valve head, being separate from the slits.

Preferably the valve head of the dispensing valve has an essentially flat or horizontal exterior side, preferably at least over a major region extending essentially parallel to the inner or interior side of the sealing and temper-evident member. This has the advantage that in case a discharge pressure will be applied, the exterior side of the valve head comes directly into contact with the inner side of the combined sealing and temper-evident member over a relatively large area, stopping or at least largely restricting any further movement or deformation of the dispensing valve in this area, thereby effectively avoiding any opening of the orifice of the dispensing valve.

However, in another embodiment it is also possible that the valve head has, in its cross section, a slightly curved form, especially e.g. a convex or a concave form.

According to a preferred embodiment, said predetermined breaking linkage, especially a breaking line, is realized by a weakening of the material. The breaking line is preferably arranged completely around the circumference of the opening. Preferably the predetermined breaking line is the only connection between the combined sealing and temper-evident member and the closure system, preferably the peripheral wall of the closure system.

Preferably therefore the predetermined breaking line is of the same material as the combined sealing and temper-evident member and/or of the closure system and/or the peripheral wall of the closure system. In another embodiment the combined sealing and temper-evident member could be realised as a separate member, being attached by a breakable connection, realizing a predetermined breaking linkage or line. This attachment could be e.g. realized by fusing or heat-sealing, but also by an adhesive. Preferably in these cases the combined sealing and temper-evident member is attached to an upper flange of the closure system, preferably of the peripheral wall of the closure system.

Preferably, the peripheral wall has an internal thread to be attached to a corresponding thread of a container. In this case the closure system could be realized as a separate device, which can be utilized for any standard container having an external thread, especially e.g. for bottles etc.

According to another preferred embodiment, however, the peripheral wall is either part of the container or part of a subunit of a container or attachable to a container, while the attaching of the peripheral wall can be done by various measurements, e.g. by fusing or heat-sealing or welding, by means of an adhesive or by any other means. This embodiment is especially suitable for e.g. tube-like containers, where the upper part of the container or the lower part of a closure, especially and preferably including a shoulder, is manufactured as a one-piece element, either by directly blow-molding or by attaching one part to the shoulder, e.g. by the above-mentioned methods like heat-sealing or welding, whereas only lateron a tube will be attached to the closure system and part of the container or closure, especially the shoulder. Such arrangements are especially suitable for containers, which will be lateron filled from the bottom side, i.e. from the open side of the tube attached to the closure system or the closure system plus the shoulder, wherein after filling the tube will be closed at the bottom, again by fusion, heat-sealing or welding or other suitable means.

Preferably the dispensing valve is fixed to the closure system by a clamping element. This has the advantage that the dispensing valve can be manufactured separately and easily inserted into the closure system by said clamping element. However, also other possibilities to fix the dispensing valve to the closure are possible, including the above-mentioned systems like fusing, heat-sealing, welding etc. In principle it is also possible to blow-mold the complete closure system including the dispensing valve, while preferably in this cases a blow-molding with two components, e.g. with two different materials, is utilized. In a preferred embodiment, the opening element of the combined sealing and temper-evident member is a pull element and even more preferably it is a pull-tab lid, which has preferably a gripping portion which can be gripped by the user to tear-off the combined sealing and tamper-evident member.

In a further preferred embodiment, the closure system also comprises a shoulder for a connection to a container or a part of a container. The container or the part of the container can be attached to such a shoulder by any means, especially by e.g. by welding or heat-sealing or any other means. Preferably a tube-like member can be attached to such a shoulder, while this tube-like member will finally form the container. It is therefore possible to provide a closure system with such a should and an attached tube-like member, being still open at the bottom, so that it can be filled from the bottom, while lateron the tube will be closed, in order to prepare the final and filled container including the closure system.

Preferably the shoulder extends from the peripheral wall of the closure system, preferably at a bottom side of the peripheral wall, and preferably it extends also in a radially outward direction. This enables an easy attachment of a container or a part of a container, especially of the tube-like element.

In a preferred embodiment, the closure system additionally comprises a cover which, in its closed position, covers the opening and/or the opening element of the combined sealing and temper-evident member, i.e. preferably the pull element or pull-tab lid, of the combined sealing and temper-evident member. This has the advantage that the combined sealing and temper-evident member is protected from outer influence, so that accidental damage of this element can be avoided.

Furthermore the cover can have various forms, either enhancing the outer appearance, but also having certain technical functions. The cover can have e.g. an outer form such that the container can be placed on a flat surface upside down, so that e.g. a tube-like container can stand on a flat surface, which both has storing advantages and also the advantage that the fluid is, due to gravity, collected near the dispensing valve, so that a user can immediately dispense the fluid and not e.g. air, which has collected in the container during use. In one embodiment the cover can have an internal thread, so that the cover can be attached to a corresponding external thread of the peripheral wall or of said containers or of other parts of the closure system.

Instead of such a screw cover, it is also possible that the cover is provided in the form of a lid attached to said peripheral wall or said container or other parts of said container via a hinge element, so that the cover lid can be rotated between an open an a closed position. These kinds of covers can be also realized as snap-on lids and have the advantage that they can be very easily opened and closed by the user, even with one hand.

The present invention also relates to a container with a closure system as described above, and it also relates to a closure system as described above attached to a part of a container, e.g. to an upper part of a tube-like container, as described above, for example a shoulder part.

The closure system according to the present invention can therefore appear on the market in various different forms, namely either as a closure system by itself, separately from a container or parts of the container, so that it can be attached to a final container or parts of the container, for example by a thread, but also by welding or other means, like e.g. by means of a snap-on or rebound system. The closure system can, however, also be already attached to parts of the container, e.g. to an opening part and preferably to an opening part and a shoulder part of a container, to which preferably a tube-like wall of a container can be attached. Of course therefore the nearly completed container with a tube-like extension, not yet be enclosed at the bottom, and with the closure system as described in this present invention may appear on the market, especially directly before filling the container. Finally, of course the empty or filled container including such a closure system will be marketed. The present invention covers all these appearances of the closure system on the market.

These and further features and advantages of the present invention will become even more apparent in connection with the specific embodiments shown in the attached Figures and described hereinafter:

Fig. 1 schematically shows a cross-section through a first embodiment of the closure system according to the present invention, with the combined sealing and temper-evident member in its closed position; Fig. 2 schematically shows the embodiment of Figure 1 , however with the sealing and temper-evident element being torn off;

Fig. 3 schematically shows the embodiment of Fig. 1, with the sealing and temper-evident member in its closed position and with an additional cover in its closed position;

Fig. 4 schematically shows the embodiment of Fig. 1, however in a situation where internal pressure is applied; and

Fig. 5 schematically shows an embodiment of the closure system according to the present invention with the dispensing valve in an open position, allowing fluid flow through the orifice.

Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of a closure system of the present invention having a base 20 with peripheral walls 22, while on the outer side of the peripheral walls 22 an external thread 24 for attachment of a cover is provided.

The base 20 also comprises a shoulder 28, extending radically outwardly from said peripheral walls 22, while a tube-like container or part of the container 80 is attached to the shoulder 28. The tube-like container 80 is, in this embodiment, attached to the shoulder 28 of the base 20 by means of welding, however, also other fastening measures like heat-sealing etc. are possible.

The tube-like container 80 or container part may be left open on the lower side, so that a product and especially a fluid can be filled into the interior 82 of the container, so that it may be closed thereafter, or it may be already closed at the bottom.

The closure system 10 according to the present invention further comprises a self-closing dispensing valve 40, which is mounted into the closure system by means of a clamping member 54, here a clamping ring. The clamping member 54 clamps a marginal valve flange 42 between the clamping member 54 and an upper part of the base 20, while the base 20 has an upper flange portion 26, extending radically inwardly from the peripheral walls 22 over a certain distance and then extending inwardly, essentially parallel to the peripheral walls 22 and in a direction opposite to the dispensing direction, in order to securely fix the dispensing valve such that it covers the opening to the container.

In this embodiment a self-closing dispensing valve 40 is utilized, having a geometrical design in which essentially all parts of the valve support the opening and closing movements of the valve, i.e. the opening and the closing of the orifice or the slits respectively, when there is a pressure differential applied or removed.

A combined sealing and temper-evident element 60 is, via a predetermined breaking linkage 66, connected to the base 20, in this case connected at the upper side to the flange 26 of the base 20, so that a disk or plate 22, extending essentially perpendicular to a dispensing direction, or horizontally, across said opening.

The disk or plate has an essentially circular form when viewed from top.

An opening element 64 is attached to the plate 62, while this opening element 64 is in this embodiment realized as a pull-tab lid, which can be gripped by the user to tear-off the combined sealing and temper-evident member.

As can be clearly seen in Fig. 1 , in this embodiment there is a small distance between an upper or exterior side 50 of the valve and an inner or lower side of the disk or plate 62. In this embodiment, the distance is preferably about 0,2 mm to 2 mm. As can be also clearly seen in Fig. 1 , the self-closing dispensing valve 40 utilized in this embodiment has, in its central portion, especially in the area of the slits and the area surrounding the slit, a flat, uncurved configuration, with the exterior side 50 and the interior side 48 of the membrane being essentially parallel to each other, so that both the exterior side 50 as well as the interior side 48 of the valve are essentially parallel to the lower side of the disk or plate 62, so that the above- mentioned distance is, in this central area, essentially constant.

If a discharge pressure is applied, i.e. in case there is a higher pressure applied to the interior 82 of the container, the dispensing valve will be pushed and deformed into the dispensing direction, i.e. in Fig. 1 in the upward direction, so that the exterior side 50 of the valve head will come into contact with the interior or lower side of the plate 62, effectively stopping a further movement or deformation of the valve head, at least in the area of the slits 46 of the valve head, so that an opening of the slits 46 of the dispensing valve can be securely avoided.

There might be further deformations in various other parts of the valve, depending on the pressure applied from the interior, however it can, at least over a wide range of pressure applied, secure that the slits 46 of the dispensing valve will be at least partly closed, thereby effectively avoiding that liquid will exit into or through the slits 46 and therefore through an orifice provided in the valve head.

Fig. 2 shows the embodiment in Fig. 1 , however in a condition where the combined sealing and temper-evident element (60, see Fig. 1) has been torn off. With respect to the other elements, still shown in Fig. 2, it is referred to the explanation of Fig. 1 , in order to avoid repetitions.

As in Fig. 1, the dispensing valve as shown in Fig. 2 is in its rest position, therefore in a position of the valve 40 when no discharge pressure is applied or when there is no differential pressure between the inside and the outside of the container.

However, as can be clearly taken from Fig. 2, the dispensing valve 40 and especially the valve head 44 of the dispensing valve 40 is free to move and deform especially into a dispensing direction, in Fig. 2 in an upper direction, when an internal pressure or discharge pressure, in Fig. 2 in the upward direction, is applied, so that the dispensing valve will be flexed and deformed outwardly, so that the slits 46 will be open, thereby allowing a fluid flow through the orifice of the dispensing valve. In this respect please also see Fig. 5, showing schematically an embodiment of a closure system of the present invention in which the dispensing valve is shown in its open position, permitting a fluid flow therethrough.

Fig. 3 shows the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 , still with the sealing and temper-evident element in its closed position. Additionally, in Fig. 3 a cover 100, in this case a screw-cap, is attached to the base 20.

The cover 100 has an internal thread 104, which engages with the external thread 24 of the peripheral wall 22 of the base 20, while an end position is reached when the extensions 106 of the cover 100 reaches the upper part of flange 26 of the base 20. The cover 100 has at its inside a support member 108, which, in this embodiment, contains an internal post and a circular ring, while the ends of this supporting member 108 come in alignment with the upper surface of the disk or plate 62 of the sealing and temper-evident member, thereby securing the plate 62 in its closed position. This supporting member 108 thereby effectively achieves to keep the position of the plate 62, even in case a very high pressure should be applied to the interior 82 of the container, in order to secure the above described function.

The sealing and temper-evident element 60 has a pull-tab lid 64, which can be gripped by the user, while this pull-tab lid 64 has a circular opening, through which the supporting member 108 of the cover 100 extends.

Furthermore the cover 100 has a circumferential extension 1 10, which defines a plane, so that the closure system or the complete container can be placed upside down on a flat surface, like e.g. a table.

Fig. 4 shows the embodiment as shown in Fig. 3, however in a situation in which a pressure is applied to the interior 82 of the container.

This pressure applied to the interior 82 of the container leads to the effect that the self-closing dispensing valve 40 is deformed and pushed outwardly (in Fig. 4 upwards). As can be clearly seen, the central area of the self-closing dispensing valve 50 abuts against the lower side of the disk or plate 62, preventing a further movement of this central area of the membrane, including the slits, thereby securely preventing an opening of the slits, as it would otherwise occur, as shown in Fig. 5 and explained hereinafter.

An opening of the slits or the orifice of the self-closing dispensing valve 40 is thereby effectively prevented, so that no liquid can exit from the interior 82 of the container through the valve.

Fig. 5 schematically shows an embodiment of a closure system, where the sealing and the temper-evident element has already been torn off by the user, while additionally a discharge pressure, i.e. a pressure from the interior 82 of the container, is applied. Fig. 5 shows, very schematically, the movement and deformation of the dispensing valve such that the orifice 52 of the dispensing valve 40 opens and permits a fluid flow therethrough.

Although Fig. 5 clearly shows that in order to permit the orifice of the dispensing valve to open and therefore to permit a fluid flow therethrough, a deformation of the valve in an outward direction is necessary, which, however, is not possible with the sealing and temper- evident member in its closed position, it clearly has to be noted that the valve 40 is shown only schematically and does not reflect the correct positioning and deformation and especially not the correct amount of opening of the orifice 52, so that especially the form of the dispensing valve is only for illustrative purposes and in order to better explain the functions of the closure system according to the present invention.

It is clear to the expert that various amendments can be made to the embodiments, without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the attached claims, and any features disclosed in connection with the embodiments or the general description can be important for realizing the invention, either alone or any combination thereof.