The invention is directed to a container closure suited for use as a closable opening for a container. The invention is also directed to a container provided with this container closure.

US4375864 describes a container closure having a body provided with a channel which connects the exterior of the container with the interior of the container. The channel is closed by a plug which seals the opening through a first snap fitting. When an external member, such as a suction tube of a pump, is inserted into the channel from the exterior of the container it will engage with the plug by means of a second snap fitting and disengage the first snap fitting. When the external member is retracted from the container closure the second snap fitting disengages and the first snap fitting engages. A disadvantage of such a closure is that it is very sensitive to material fatigue. With this closure it is well possible that after multiple use the external member pushes the plug into the container without engaging with the plug.

This disadvantage is overcome with the container closure of EP1233228. EP1233228 describes a container closure provided with a female part and a plug. The female part has a body containing an axial bore which extends from an insert opening for a male part through the body and having a seat for the plug at its opposite end. The plug serves to close off the bore. The plug is connected to the female member by a flexible ring wall which avoids that the plug can be lost in the container as with the closure of US4375864. The flexible ring wall ensures that the plug rests under pre-stress on the bore such to close off the bore. When a male part, such a suction tube of a pump, is inserted into the female part from the exterior of the container the tip of the male part can axially move the plug from its seat and so create a fluid passage. When the male part is withdrawn the plug will return to its seat because of the flexible ring. In this design there is less danger that the plug is lost in the container as with the closure of US4375864.

A disadvantage of the container closure according to EP1233228 is that the female part is sensitive to mechanical failure. This may be explained by the fact that such female members have to be welded into plastic bags. The flexible ring wall of the female member may then be damaged. The invention is directed to provide a more robust container closure which can be welded into plastic bags without the above described problems.

This is achieved by the following container closure. A container closure, suited for use as a closable opening for a container, comprising a first female member having a body provided with a first channel along an axis, which channel may fiuidly connect the interior of the container and the exterior of the container, and wherein

in said first channel a second female member is positioned, said second female member having a body provided with a second co-axial channel suited to receive an external male member from the exterior of the container and which body of the second female member has an exterior surface which provides a fluid seal with the interior surface of the first female member, and wherein

in said first channel a cap is positioned relative to the second female member at the side facing the container and wherein the cap can move axially relative to the second female member from a first position to a second position and wherein in the first position the cap provides a fluid seal and in the second position provides a fluid connection between the interior of the container and the exterior of the container.

The container closure according to the invention can be welded into a plastic bag by welding only the first female member. The second female member and plug may be positioned into the first female member after this member is fixed to the plastic bag.

Because the first female member does not have any heat sensitive fragile parts as in the prior art closure a more robust container closure is provided which can be welded into plastic bags without damaging the closure itself.

A further advantage is that the first channel of the first female body provides an easy access for filing the container with a fluid. By subsequently positioning the cap and second female member into the first channel the container filled with a fluid can be closed and is ready for transport. For ensuring that the fluid seal of the first position is sufficient to avoid leakage during transport it is preferred that the cap and second female member are connected by a snap or clamping connection. This may be achieved by pressing the cap onto the second female member before positioning the thus assembled cap and second female member into the first channel of the first female member.

In this descriptions terms as in the direction of the container, facing the container and exterior of the container is used to describe elements and relative positions of such elements of the container closure. It is clear that with the term in the direction of the container or facing the container is meant the direction viewed relative from an element of the container closure towards the container when the container closure is part of a container. With the term exterior of the container is meant the direction viewed relative from an element of the container closure away from the container when the container closure is part of a container. These terms do not in any manner intend to mean that a container is part of the container closure.

The container closure may be used to close containers comprising fluids or powders having flow properties comparable to fluids and which powders are able to flow through the container closure. Examples of such powders are toner powder for printers, coffee powder and milk powder. Preferably the container comprises fluids, such as aqueous soap solutions, cosmetic creams and soft drink syrup.

Suitably the cap can move in an axial direction with respect to the second female member from a first position to a second position and back to a third position. In the first position the cap and second female member provide a fluid seal connection by means of a snap or clamping connection. In the second position the cap is axially displaced relative to the second female member towards the interior of the container and in the third position the cap rests on the second female member to provide a fluid seal. The fluid seal in the third position is not necessarily as tight as in the first position. The objective of the fluid seal in the third position is primary to avoid that fluid drips from the container when an external male member is pulled from the second channel.

Suitably the container closure is further provided with a resilient member which resiliently biases the cap from the second position to the third position. Such a resilient member can be designed such to provide enough force to achieve the fluid seal for avoiding dripping of fluid from the container in the third position. The first female member may be provided with the resilient member at the side of the container which resiliently biases the cap from the second position to the third position.

The resilient member may also be part of the cap. Suitably the cap comprises a circular head and a base ring spaced from the circular head towards the second female member and having an opening for passage of the second female member. The head of the cap is suitably connected to the base ring by a resilient member. Preferably the resilient member, the cap and the base ring are made as one structural element. In the above described cap it is preferred that the base ring of the cap is fixed into position by assembly of the second female member, cap and the first female member such that the base ring cannot move in an axial direction relative to the second female member.

The resilient member may be made from materials known for such use. Examples of suitable materials are polyoxymethylene (POM), polyamide or spring steel. When the resilient member, the head of the cap and the base ring are made as one structural element it is preferred that this structural element is comprised of polyoxymethylene.

The snap or clamping connection in the first position is preferably achieved by a cap and second female member as described below. The second female member has a tubular open end facing the container. The cap comprises a circular head from which edge a rim extends towards the second female member. The cap comprises a pin which extends from its centre co-axial towards and into the open end of the second female member. The snap or clamping connection of the first position will be achieved by a snap or clamping connection between the radially outer side of the open end of the second female member and the rim of the cap and/or by a snap or clamping connection between the radially inner side of the open end and the radially outer side of pin. Suitably the first position is at least a snap or clamping connection between the radially outer side of the open end of the second female member and the rim of the cap and a snap or clamping connection between the radially inner side of the open end and the radially outer side of pin.

The pin suitably has a cylindrical or tubular cross-section at the end near the head of the cap. The radially inner side of the open end is suitably shaped to receive the radially outer side of the pin to form a fluid seal. The end of the pin facing the exterior of the container suitably has a smaller cross-sectional area as the part nearer the circular head of the pin. This to create the flow path when the cap is axially moved towards the container. This axial movement is achieved when the external male member is inserted into the second channel from the exterior of the container. The external male member will contact the end of the pin and push it towards the container when the external member is inserted into the second channel. The external member may be a suction tube of a pump. Typically such a tube is hollow having an opening at its end. The end of the pin should be shaped such that it on the one hand can be pushed in an axial direction by the tip of the external male member and on the other hand does not block the inlet of the suction tube. Possible cross-sectional shapes of the end of the pin may be square wherein part of the inlet of the suction tube of the external member is not covered. Alternatively, a circular shape provided with grooves may be used wherein the grooves provide part of the flow path between the interior and the exterior of the container.

The second position of the above closure is wherein the cap is axially displaced relative to the second female member towards the container such that a flow path for fluid is created between the open end of the second female member and cap. This flow path fluidly connects the interior of the container and the exterior of the container. In the third position the radially outer side of pin of cap rests on the radially inner side of the open end of the second female member to provide the fluid seal. The force exercised by the resilient member on the cap will suitably ensure a sufficient fluid seal between the radially outer side of pin of the cap and the radially inner side of the open end of the second female member.

The invention is also directed to a container comprising a container closure according to the invention. The container may be a cartridge comprising toner powder. Preferably the container is suited to hold a liquid. Preferably the container has a flexible wall. This is advantageous because when liquid is discharged from the container via the container closure no replacement air is required to be added to the container in order to avoid a vacuum. Possible flexible walls are made of a thermoplastic polymer such as polypropylene or polyethylene.

The second female member and/or cap may be made by the same material as the first female member. Preferably second female member and/or cap are made of a polymer which has antibacterial properties, preferably polymers selected from among polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polyvinylchloride (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon and polystyrene, having antibacterial properties such as for example described in W014155156.

The container is suitably a flexible bag. The first female member is positioned in an opening of the flexible bag. Preferably the material of the flexible bag and the first female body are the same to enable a better connection when both parts are welded together. Suitably a polypropylene reservoir is combined with a polypropylene plug and a

polyethylene reservoir is combined with a polyethylene plug. Such combinations are preferably fixed by means of welding wherein by means of a heat treatment the connection is achieved by inter-melting the surfaces of the reservoir and plug. The invention is also directed to a container as described above comprising an aqueous solution and wherein the cap is positioned relative to the second female member in the first position providing a fluid seal, preferably by means of a snap or clamping connection. This container is advantageous because the container closure will be closed by means of a snap or clamping connection thereby ensuring that when the bag is stored or transported no liquid will leak from the container.

The invention is also directed to a container according to this invention, wherein into the second female member a suction tube of a pump is positioned as the external male member and wherein the cap is positioned axially away from the second female member to the second position such that a fluid connection results between the interior of the container and the suction tube of the pump. The pump may be a spray pump as described in US5732853 hereby incorporated by reference.

Figure 1 shows an exploded view of the three main parts of the container closure 1 according to the invention. The container closure of Figure 1 may be placed in a container. The orientation from the exterior of the container to the container runs upwards in Figure 1. Shown is a first female member 2 having a body provided with a first channel 3 along an axis 4. The interior of the channel 3 is the interior surface 7 of the first female member 2. Figure 1 also shows a second female member 5 having a body provided with a second coaxial channel 8 suited to receive an external male member (not shown) from the exterior of the container (not shown). The second female member 5 has an exterior surface 6, a tubular open end 11 facing the container and a radially outer side 17.

Also shown is a cap 9 provided with a circular head 12 from which edge a rim 13 extends towards the second female member 5. The cap 9 has a pin 14 which extends from its centre co-axial towards the second female member 5. The cap 9 further is provided with a base ring 15 spaced from the circular head 12 towards the second female member 5. The base ring 15 has an opening 16 for passage of the second female member 5 and for passage of pin 14. The head 12 of the cap 9 is connected to the base ring 15 by a resilient member 10. Cap 9 as shown is one structural part.

When assembling the container closure 1 it is preferred to first push the cap 9 onto the second female member 5 thereby creating a snap fitting and closing tubular open end 11. The thus assembled cap 9 and second female member 5 can be inserted into the first channel 7 wherein exterior surface 6 of second female member 5 and the interior surface 7 of the first female member 2 create a fluid seal. Figure 2 shows such an assembled container closure.

Figure 2 shows the assembled container closure making use of the parts shown in Figure 1. Also shown is a spray pump 22 as disclosed in US5732853 having a suction tube 21 which is only partly inserted into second channel 8. The container closure as shown is in its first position wherein the cap 9 and the second female member 5 provide a fluid seal enclosing the interior of the container and the exterior of the container. The snap connection is achieved between the radially outer side 17 of the open end 11 of the second female member and the rim 13 of the cap 9 and between the radially inner side 22 of the open end 11 and the radially outer side 23 of pin 14.

in Figure 3 the suction tube 21, as the external male member, is fully inserted into the second channel 8. As a result of this insertion of suction tube 21 pin 14 and cap 9 is axially displaced in the direction of the container because suction tube 21 axially pushes pin 14 towards the container. The base ring 15 is fixed into position by assembly of the second female member 5 and cap 9 into the first channel 7. Because of this fixation of ring 15 resilient member 10 will try to force cap 9 back on its seat on second female member 5. As long as suction tube 21 is in the position shown in this Figure 2 no such displacement will occur. A flow path is created which runs via the interior of the suction tube 21, along an annular space between pin 14 and the interior of the second channel 8, a space between the circular head 12 and rim 13 and the end of the second female member 5 and the space between the cap 9 and the interior of the 7 of the first channel.

Figure 4 shows an embodiment wherein the first female member is provided with the resilient member at the side of the container which resiliency biases the cap from the second position to the third position. Figure 5 shows an exploded view of the three main parts of the container closure of Figure 4. The container closure of Figure 4 may be placed in a container. The orientation from the exterior of the container to the container runs upwards in Figure 4. Shown is a first female member 32 having a body provided with a first channel 33 along an axis 34. The interior of the channel 33 is the interior surface 37 of the first female member 32. Figure 4 also shows a second female member 35 having a body provided with a second co-axial channel 38 suited to receive an external male member (not shown) from the exterior of the container (not shown). The second female member 35 has an exterior surface 36, a tubular open end 41 facing the container and a radially outer side 37.

Also shown is a cap 39 provided with a circular head 42 from which edge a rim 43 extends towards the second female member 35. The cap 39 has a pin 44 which extends from its centre co-axial towards the second female member 35. Cap 39 as shown is one structural part. Cap 39 is further provided with a tubular body 45 extending from head 42 towards the container. Around body 45a spring 40 is placed which rests between head 42 and the tubular open end 41 of first female body 32.

When assembling the container closure of Figure 4 it is preferred to first push the cap 39 onto the second female member 35 thereby creating a snap fitting. The thus assembled cap 39 and second female member 35 can be inserted into the first channel 37 wherein exterior surface3 6 of second female member 35 and the interior surface 37 of the first female member 32 create a fluid seal.