The invention relates to a container for a product which can be poured or sprinkled, which container comprises an upright side wall connected to the bottom, with the side wall connecting to a flat edge encircling on the side of the opening, the flat edge having a covering sheet fastened to it which seals the opening of the container, a portion of the covering sheet being designed as a tab with which the covering sheet can be pulled from the edge in order to expose a dispensing opening.

Such containers can have the shape of e.g. a drinking cup for products which can be poured, such as dairy pro¬ ducts, lemonade and the like, or of a small cup for σonden- sed milk or cream. Such containers can also be used for products which can be sprinkled, such as for example powde¬ red or granular products, like sugar, powdered milk, herbs, detergents, talcum powder and the like.

The known containers have the disadvantage, that an uncontrollable opening will be formed when the covering sheet is pulled off, while furthermore a shock effect occurs, as a result of which the interruption of the pulling movement is made difficult and moreover, the contents can be spilled. The invention provides a container of this type, in which a well-defined dispensing opening is obtained in a simple way when the tab is pulled off, while an excessive exertion of force has no adverse effects.

To that end, the container according to the invention is characterized in that the covering sheet consists of two constituent sheets attached to each other, and that a yield or breaking line partly bounding the opening to be formed is formed in one of both constituent sheets, all in such a way, that when the tab is pulled off the edge on reaching this line, and further a pulling force is exerted, the covering sheet is detached right up to the line of the container, and at least the lower constituent sheet will keep the dispensi- on opening closed off beyond the line.

By an appropriate choice of the shape of this yield or breaking line, a dispensing opening suited for the intended purpose can be easily formed, regardless of the material of the container and the assembled covering sheet. Preferably, the yield or breaking line is formed in the lower constituent sheet, and the adhesive force between both constituent sheets is so small, that when the container is opened, the lower constituent sheet will keep the dis- pension opening closed off beyond the line and the upper constituent sheet will be pulled off from the lower con¬ stituent sheet beyond the line. Thus, a container is provi¬ ded, which, regardless of the force exerted during opening, does not give cause for shock effects and therefore spilling is prevented. The embodiment mentioned above functions very well, but it has appeared that as a result of the fact that beyond the yield or breaking line the upper constituent sheet is de¬ tached from the lower one, there is the risk that the user will get the impression that the container is opened in an incorrect way. Therefore, the invention provides the follow¬ ing preferred embodiment, in which the yield or breaking line is formed in the upper constituent sheet, and the adhesive force between both constituent sheets is sufficient to guarantee that on opening the container both constituent sheets will be detached from the container as part- of the covering sheet up to the line and both constituent sheets will keep the dispensing opening closed off beyond the line.

It will be obvious, that in the perspective of this description, other embodiments of the container according to the invention will be obvious to the expert, said other embodiments being based on the same way of opening. That is, a dispensing opening being bounded by at least the lower constituent sheet and the container wall is formed.

Advantageously, tear-initiating means for guaranteeing correct tearing of the covering sheet are present at both sides of the tab.

The invention also provides a container of the previ¬ ously described type, in which the wall is provided with spout-shaped bulge, which is characterized in that the yield

or breaking line is directed square to the longitudinal axis of this bulge and is situated near the connection of this bulge to the container wall.

Finally, the invention relates to a covering material intended for a container according to the invention, said material being characterized in that it comprises two sheets attached to each other, in which one of them comprises a yield line.

In the following, the invention will be further explai- ned by way of a drawing; in which;

Figs. 1A, B and C show schematic sections of a contai¬ ner according to the invention in three subsequent situati¬ ons on opening it;

Figs. 2A and B show plan views of an embodiment of the container according to fig. l in a modified embodiment before and after opening, respectively;

Fig. 3 shows a plan view of another embodiment of such a container;

Figs. 4A, B and C show schematic sections of yet another container according to the invention in three subse¬ quent opening situations;

Figs. 5A and B show plan views of the container accor¬ ding to fig. 4 in a modified embodiment before and after opening, respectively; and Figs. 6A and B show plan views of yet another embodi¬ ment of the container according to fig. 4 before and after opening, respectively.

The container illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises an up¬ right wall 1 which connects to a flat edge 2 encircling at its upper side. As illustrated at 3, this edge 2 is locally widened to a tab separated from the actual edge 2 by a breaking line 4.

The container 1 is sealed by a covering sheet 5 consis¬ ting of two constituent sheets 5a and 5b attached to each other. This assembled covering sheet 5 is connected to the edge 2 around its complete circumference, by means of wel¬ ding, for example. The lower constituent sheet 5b should be suitable for making such a connection, and furthermore has to be connectable to the contents to be put inside the

container. The upper constituent sheet 5a can be gas-tight, and for example be made of aluminium foil, and can further be provided with print.

In the lower constituent sheet 5b there is a yield or breaking line 6, the shape of which being such, that a suitable dispensing opening can be bounded, as will be explained further.

For opening the container, the tab 3 is loosened by breaking the breaking line 4, after which the connection between the covering sheet 5 and the edge 2 is broken, as indicated in Fig. IB.

Pulling the tab 3 further causes a situation in which the pulling force at the yield line 6 will give cause to pulling the upper constituent sheet 5a off from the lower constituent sheet 5b. After that, the tab 3 can be pulled further, as illustrated in Fig. 1C, but the lower sheet 5b remains situated on the container edge 2. Thus, the desired pouring opening 7 is bounded by the remaining part of the sheet 5b and the container wall 1. It will be obvious, that the tab 3 need not necessarily comprise a part of the edge 2, and can also consist of only a protruding part of the covering sheet 5.

Fig. 2 illustrates a modified embodiment of the contai¬ ner according to Fig. 1 in plan view, in which one can see, that the yield line 6 is a somewhat bent line. Further, tear-initiating means 8 are present at both sides of the tab 3, for example in the shape of notches. When the lip 3 is pulled on pulling loose the connection with the edge 2, the covering sheet 5 will be torn there and the opening 7 will be exposed. On reaching the yield line 6, only a strip of the upper sheet 5a is pulled loose further.

Fig. 3 shows a plan view of a container having a spout 9, in which the yield line 6 extends square to the longitu¬ dinal axis of the spout 9. With pulling loose the tab 3, a small dispensing opening 7 in the spout portion will be exposed. If the lip is pulled further, the complete upper sheet 5a will be detached. This can facilitate reuse of the material of the container with the lower covering sheet 5b, if the upper sheet 5a consists of metal foil, for example,

which should be separated from the plastic material of the container and the lower constituent sheet 5b for reuse.

In any case, the adhesive force between the constituent sheets 5a and 5b must be such, that the sheets can easily be pulled off from each other, as soon as the lower sheet 5b is stopped by the attachment to the edge 2 beyond the yield line 6.

It will be obvious, that one of the constituent sheets, and the lower one in particular, can be formed by depositing a coherent layer-forming material onto the other sheet, in which said layer-forming material need not necessarily connect to the edge of the container.

In fig. 4, an embodiment of a container according to the invention is shown in three subsequent opening situati- ons, in which the yield line is indicated by 10. Here, it is formed in the upper constituent sheet 5a. Further, in this embodiment, the adhesive force between both constituent sheets 5a, 5b is sufficient to guarantee that the constitu¬ ent sheets will not disengage from each other during ope- ning.

Opening this container starts in the same way as with the container of Fig. 1, yet on pulling the tab 3 beyond the yield line, said tab will be detached together with a porti¬ on 11 of the covering sheet. Beyond the yield line 10, the dispensing opening is thus kept closed off by both constitu¬ ent sheets 5a, 5b together. In this embodiment, the material of the lower constituent sheet is preferably made from such material, that it can break off at the line 10, or can be torn. As an example for such a material, metal foil such as aluminium foil can be mentioned.

Owing to the fact, that in this embodiment the yield line, which can be designed as for example a perforation or a continuous breaking line, is situated in the upper consti¬ tuent sheet 5b, it can never be contaminated by the product present in the container.

Fig. 5 shows the container of Fig. 4 is shown in plan view before and after opening, respectively. It can be seen, that in comparison to the embodiments described referring to Figs. 1 and 2, here one obtains an opening having the same

shape. However, on opening the container of Figs. 4 and 5, the user does not have the impression that the container is opened in an incorrect way, which risk does exist with the container of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 6 shows a further embodiment of the container according to Fig. 5, which does not comprise any tear-initi¬ ating means, and in which the yield line 10 has a large curvature. Here, the complete portion 11 enclosed by the yield line 10 is detached from the covering sheet 5. This embodiment is particularly suitable as drinking cup for lemonades, dairy products, etc.

With the container shown in Fig. 3, one can also provi¬ de the upper covering sheet 5a with a yield line 10, instead of the lower covering sheet, so that said sheet 5a can be opened in the way as described with reference to Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

An advantage of the way of sealing a container descri¬ bed with reference to the drawing, is that one can always obtain an exactly determined dispensing opening, indepen- dently of the shape and the material of the container. This applies in particular for containers of cardboard or the like, which can not be provided with an integral spout.

Further, a dispensing opening 7 adapted to the nature of the contents and to the use of the container can be formed by an suitable choice of the position and the shape of the yield line 6, 10. For example, soft drinks will require a different dispensing opening 7 than vanilla cus¬ tard.

The constituent sheets 5a and 5b of the covering sheet 5 can be composed of several layers themselves, if necessa¬ ry.

Forming the yield line 6, 10 can take place in several ways, such as for example by punching, with the help of a laser beam or the like, and this can take place before or after assembling of the constituent sheets.