Search

EP-4737346-A2 - CLOSURE DEVICE FOR A CONTAINER

EP4737346A2EP 4737346 A2EP4737346 A2EP 4737346A2EP-4737346-A2

Abstract

A closure device for a container, the container having a neck including an annular flange along an exterior surface of the neck, said closure device comprising: a cap body; a tamper evident (TE) band, the TE band defined such that, when assembled onto the container, the TE band is positioned below the annular flange; a first leash and a second leash connecting the cap body to the TE band, the first leash and the second leash originating from separate locations on the cap body and converging towards a pivot region on the TE band, the pivot region defining a pivotal axis; a tongue protruding from the cap body; a ratchet provided on the TE band; wherein, when said cap body is moved from a closed configuration relative to the neck to a fully open position, an interaction of the tongue with a contact surface of the ratchet maintains said cap body in the open position.

Inventors

  • NAUMANN, TOBIAS
  • SCHERER, STEPHAN
  • HALTER, CHRISTOPHE
  • BECK, CHRISTOPHE SIMON PIERRE

Assignees

  • Husky Injection Molding Systems Luxembourg IP Development S.à.r.l

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20200423

Claims (15)

  1. A closure device for a container, the container having a neck including an annular flange along an exterior surface of the neck, the closure device comprising: a cap body; a tamper evident (TE) band, the TE band defined such that, when assembled onto the container, the TE band is positioned below the annular flange for cooperation therewith; at least one hinge defined on the cap body; at least one leash connected to the TE band, the at least one leash allowing for the cap body to be separated from the TE band during opening, but to remain connected thereto via the at least one leash; the at least one leash having an elongate leash body extending generally circumferentially around a portion of the TE band and having a fold in the elongate leash body; wherein, when the cap body is actuated from a closed configuration to the fully open position: the at least one leash is configured to retain the cap body to the TE band; and a fold angle of the fold of the at least one leash increases to increase a distance between the cap body and the TE band.
  2. The closure device of claim 1, wherein the fold is positioned about midway along the elongate leash body.
  3. The closure device of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein when the cap body is in the closed configuration, a portion of the elongate leash body not including the fold extends in a manner substantially parallel to a rim of the cap body.
  4. The closure device of any preceding claim, wherein the fold comprises a first fold arm moveably connected to a second fold arm, the first fold arm and the second fold arm being positioned substantially transversely to the portion of the elongate leash body not including the fold.
  5. The closure device of any preceding claim, wherein, when the cap body is in the closed configuration, a portion of the fold extends into a correspondingly shaped cut-out in the TE band.
  6. The closure device of any preceding claim, wherein the leash is arranged such that the length of the leash is resiliently extendible.
  7. The closure device of claim 1, wherein a connection point of the at least one leash to the TE band is circumferentially spaced from a connection point of the at least one leash to the at least one hinge.
  8. The closure device of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one leash comprises two leashes, and the at least one hinge comprises two hinges, each hinge of the two leashes being connected to the TE band and a given hinge.
  9. The closure device of any preceding claim comprising a tongue which protrudes from the cap body and which has a lip extending therefrom, wherein the tongue is between the two leashes and/or is adjacent the at least one hinge.
  10. The closure device of claim 9, wherein the tongue protrudes downwardly from the cap body, and the lip extends substantially transversely from a free end of the tongue, such that a profile of the tongue and the lip is "L" shaped.
  11. The closure device of claim 9 or claim 10 comprising a groove defined in an outer surface of the cap body and extending at least partially circumferentially around the cap body and positioned above the tongue, such that when the cap body is in the fully open position, the groove is arranged to interact with a support ledge on the outer surface of the neck to retain the cap body in the fully open position.
  12. The closure device of any one of claims 9 to 11 comprising at least one rib on the TE band and positioned below the tongue when the cap body is in the closed configuration relative to the neck, wherein, when the cap body is actuated from the closed configuration to the fully open position: the lip is arranged to interact with the at least one rib in the fully open position.
  13. The closure device of claim 12, wherein the at least one rib extends in a direction from the TE band to the cap body, for example the at least one rib may extend from a lower end of the TE band and stops short of an upper end of the TE band.
  14. The closure device of claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the at least one rib comprises two ribs, spaced from one another and extending substantially parallel to one another, on the TE band.
  15. The closure device of any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein a free end of the lip has a distance of extension from the tongue which is greater than a distance of extension of the at least one rib from the TE band.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present technology relates to a closure device for a container. BACKGROUND Containers, such as bottles, are generally provided with closure devices, such as caps, to fluidly seal the container. In recent years, it has become desirable to tether the closure device to the container in order to avoid losing the closure device. Not only is this a matter of convenience, but it is also becoming a legal requirement in certain jurisdictions. Tethering of a closure device to its respective container includes certain mechanisms which allow an attachment of the closure device to a tamper-evidence (TE band) band at an open end of the container. Such mechanisms generally allow severing of frangible links between the closure device and the TE band during opening of the closure device yet allow the closure device to stay connected to the TE band and hence the container when in the open configuration. The typical mechanism also allows the closure device to be actuated between closed and open configurations. In JP 5574582, there is described a cap 2 having a tongue 46 provided between two leashes. The tongue 46 abuts an annular ring 68 of the neck, allowing the cap to remain in the open position. US 9,010,555 describes a one-piece cap with two lines of weakness (20/34) which break when unscrewing the cap. The top portion of the cap remains attached to the TE band via the strip 36. A notch 32 separates the bridges 301 and 302. However, there is no mechanism to maintain the cap in the open position. In US 6,474,491, there is described a cap having a tongue 21 between the two film hinges 5. The two film hinges 5 are connected to the ring 3 via a respective arm 4. The tongue can abut the neck of the container when the cap is in the open position, allowing the cap to remain in the open position. US 2012/0024815 describes a one piece cap comprising a cut line 34 under a hinge 35 to extend a coupling length of the support ring 33 with the cap body 31. In some embodiments, the cap body 31 includes a wedge k1, which when opened, is retained between the support step 15 and the support ring 33. In JP 49096441, a cap is described with two bands 40 acting as a hinge between the TE band 20 and the cap body 10. A hook 11 is provided between the bands 40. When the cap body 10 is removed, the hook 11 engages the TE band 20 and the jaw A of the neck portion. SUMMARY Embodiments of the present technology have been developed based on inventors' appreciation of at least one shortcoming associated with the prior art solutions and approaches to retaining a closure device on a container and allowing retention of an open position of the closure device relative to the container. Inventors have noted that prior art solutions which do attempt to retain the cap relative to the container are not able to achieve this at an angle which allows comfortable access to the container for the user. In the case of the drinking bottles, for example, the cap when open interferes with the user drinking from the bottle. Accordingly, in certain aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a closure device which can actuate between a closed configuration and an open configuration, the open configuration enabling a number of open positions of the cap relative to the container. A retaining mechanism of the closure device enables retention of the cap in a fully open position. From one aspect, there is provided a closure device for a container, the container having a neck including an annular flange along an exterior surface of the neck, the closure device comprising: a cap body; a tamper evident (TE) band, the TE band defined such that, when assembled onto the container, the TE band is positioned below the annular flange for cooperation therewith; a first hinge and a second hinge defined on the cap body; a leash connected to the TE band, the first hinge and the second hinge; the leash allowing for the cap body to be separated from the TE band during opening, but to remain connected thereto via the leash; a tongue protruding from the cap body between the first hinge and the second hinge; when the cap body is actuated from a closed configuration relative to the neck to a fully open position: the leash is configured to retain the cap body to the TE band; an interaction of the tongue and the neck is configured to retain the cap body in the fully open position. In certain embodiments, the interaction of the tongue and the neck is direct. The direct interaction may be between a lip at a free end of the tongue and the annular flange. In certain embodiments, the interaction of the tongue and the neck is indirect via a ratchet defined on the TE band. The ratchet may be located on the TE band, between the first hinge and the second hinge. In certain embodiments, the cap body and the TE band are implemented in a flip top arrangement via the first hinge and the second hinge. In certain embodiments, after the cap body is actuated from the cl