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EP-4741307-A1 - CHILD-RESISTANT CLOSURE, CARTON PACKAGE AND METHODS OF PRODUCING THE SAME

EP4741307A1EP 4741307 A1EP4741307 A1EP 4741307A1EP-4741307-A1

Abstract

A child-resistant closure (18) configured to be attached to a carton package for a pourable household chemical comprises an attachment collar (20); a circular spout (22) extending along a spout axis (A); and a cap arrangement (24) comprising an attachment ring (28) and a reclosable flip cap (26) held to the attachment ring (28) by a hinge (30). The flip cap (26) comprises a cap mantle (36) having a locking hook (38) extending radially inwards towards the spout axis (A), and a radially outer face (22c) of the spout (22) comprises a locking track (40) configured to receive the locking hook (38). The cap arrangement (24) is rotatable on the spout (22) about the spout axis (A) with the locking hook (38) received in the locking track (40). The cap mantle (36) comprises a pair of opposing depression areas (42a, 42b) separated from the spout (22) by a mantle gap enabling the depression areas (42a, 42b) to be pressed towards the spout (22), such that the cap mantle (36) is resiliently ovalized and moves the locking hook (38) radially outwards from the locking track (40).

Inventors

  • SVENSSON, MICAEL

Assignees

  • Modulpac AB

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20251106

Claims (15)

  1. A child-resistant closure (18; 118) configured to be attached to a carton package (10) for a pourable household chemical, the child-resistant closure (18; 118) comprising an attachment collar (20) extending along an attachment plane (P) and having an attachment face (20a) configured to be attached to an interior face (74a) of the carton package (10); a spout (22) extending from the attachment collar (20) along a spout axis (A), the spout (22) having a circular cross-section in a plane (P) perpendicular to the spout axis (A); and a cap arrangement (24; 124) comprising an attachment ring (28) rotatably attached to the spout (22), a hinge (30), and a reclosable flip cap (26) held to the attachment ring (28) by the hinge (30), the flip cap (26) being movable between a fully closed position in which it closes a pouring outlet (23) of the spout (22), and an open position in which the pourable household chemical may be poured from the pouring outlet (23), by pivoting the flip cap (26) about the hinge (30), wherein the flip cap (26) comprises a cap mantle (36) at least partially circumferentially surrounding an outer perimeter (22c) of the pouring outlet (23) of the spout (22), wherein an inside face (36a) of the cap mantle (36) comprises, opposite to the hinge (30) across the spout (22), a locking hook (38) extending radially inwards towards the spout axis (A), and a radially outer face (22c) of the spout (22) comprises a locking track (40) configured to receive the locking hook (38) when the flip cap (26) is in the fully closed position, the locking track (40) extending circumferentially about the spout axis (A), wherein the cap arrangement (24; 124) is rotatable in relation to the spout (22) about the spout axis (A) with the locking hook (38) received in the locking track (40), wherein the cap mantle (36) further comprises, between the hinge and the locking hook (38), a pair of opposing depression areas (42a, 42b) separated from the spout (22) by a mantle gap (d 2 ) enabling the depression areas (42a, 42b) of the cap mantle (36) to be pressed towards the spout (22), such that the cap mantle (36) is resiliently ovalized and moves the locking hook (38) in a direction radially outwards from the locking track (40).
  2. The child-resistant closure according to claim 1 wherein, when the flip cap (26) is in the fully closed position, the locking hook (38) extends radially into the locking track (40) by a radial lock engagement depth (d 1 ), and the mantle gap has a radial width (d 2 ), at each of said depression areas (42a, 42b), of at least 0,9 times said radial lock engagement depth (d 1 ).
  3. The child-resistant closure according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cap mantle (36) has a mantle wall thickness (t 5 ), along its circumference between the hinge (30) and the locking hook (38), of at least 0,45 mm, and/or the cap mantle (36) has a uniform mantle wall thickness (t 5 ) along its circumference between the hinge (30) and the locking hook (38).
  4. The child-resistant closure according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cap mantle (36) has a bottom edge (37) facing the attachment ring (28), and the locking hook (38) is positioned at the bottom edge (37).
  5. The child-resistant closure according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cap mantle (36), at the circumferential position of the depression areas (42a, 42b), tapers away from the attachment ring (28), and/or the depression areas (42a, 42b) extend all the way to a bottom edge (37) of the cap mantle (36), and/or each of said depression areas (42a, 42b) is provided with friction protrusions, such as vertically extending friction ribs, configured to increase the friction against fingers pressing on the depression areas (42a, 42b), and/or the depression areas (42a, 42b) are positioned closer to the locking hook (38) than to the hinge (30).
  6. The child-resistant closure according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said locking hook (38) engages with the locking track (40), in the fully closed position of the flip cap (26), over a total engagement angle (θ) of between 21° and 45° about the spout axis, and/or said locking hook (38) engages with the locking track (40), in the fully closed position of the flip cap (26), to a radial lock engagement depth (d 1 ) of at least 0,7 mm.
  7. The child-resistant closure according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a lower edge (37a) of the cap mantle (36) is radially flush with the attachment ring (28) at the circumferential position of the locking hook (38).
  8. The child-resistant closure according to any of the preceding claims, wherein an outer face (36b) of the cap mantle (36) is provided with a lift tab (43) extending radially away from the spout axis (A).
  9. The child-resistant closure according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the flip cap (26) comprises an axial end wall (34) configured to cover the pouring outlet (23) in the closed position, wherein the cap mantle (36) extends from the axial end wall (34) towards the attachment ring (28), wherein the inside face (36a) of the cap mantle (36) abuts the spout (22) at the axial end wall (34), and/or an inner face (34a) of the axial end wall (34), facing in an axial direction towards the attachment ring (28), comprises a reinforcement ring (119) protruding from the inner face (34a) of the axial end wall (34) between the pouring outlet (23) and the cap mantle (36).
  10. The child-resistant closure according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the locking track (40) is configured as a groove, and the spout (22) comprises, on its radially inner face (22b), a circumferential protrusion (22d) in register with the groove, and/or the attachment ring (28) and the hinge (30) define a tether link between the flip cap (26) and the spout (22) which is configured to withstand a tensile force of at least 12,5 N, and more preferably, of at least 25 N, and/or the flip cap (26) is moulded of a plastic material having a Young's modulus of between 1000 MPa and 1500 MPa, and more preferably, between 1300 MPa and 1450 MPa.
  11. The child-resistant closure according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the attachment collar (20) is made of thermoplastic, and the attachment face (20a) of the attachment collar (20) is provided with a liquefaction initiation ridge (68) extending about the spout axis (A).
  12. The child-resistant closure according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cap mantle (36) has a circular outer shape in a cross-section perpendicular to the spout axis (A), and/or the flip cap (26) is releasably attached to the attachment ring (28) via a plurality of frangible bridges (32), and/or the flip cap (26) comprises a circular bore seal (44) extending into the spout (22) and engaging with a radially inner face (22b) of the spout (22), and/or the child-resistant closure further comprises a cap support tongue (44a) adjacent to the hinge (30) configured to, when the flip cap (26) is open, hold the flip cap (26) at an opening angle of at least 60°, and/or the flip cap (26) seals, when in the fully closed position, against the spout (22) along a sealing line (58) extending in a closed loop about the spout axis (A), wherein the sealing line (58) is positioned at an axial distance (H3) from the attachment collar (20) of at least 5 mm, and/or the spout (22) is defined by a circumferential wall having a radial thickness (t 4 ), adjacent to the pouring outlet (23), of between 0,65 mm and 0,95 m, and/or the closure (18; 118), excluding the attachment collar (20), has a height/width ratio (H2/W1) of between 0,28 and 0,40.
  13. A carton package (10) comprising a household chemical, the carton package being provided with a child-resistant closure (18; 118) according to any of the preceding claims.
  14. A method of producing the child-resistant closure (18; 118) according to any of claims 1-12, comprising injection moulding the closure (18; 118) in a multiple-cavity tool comprising a first moulding cavity for the spout (22) and a second moulding cavity for the cap arrangement (24; 124); and applying the cap arrangement (24; 124) to the spout (22).
  15. A method of producing a child-resistant package for household chemicals, the method comprising: providing a carton package blank (74) having a first face (74a) which is to become an interior face of the carton package (10), and comprising a closure aperture (76); providing a child-resistant closure (18; 118) according to any of the claims 1-12; inserting the spout (22) and the cap arrangement (24; 124), at an arbitrary rotation angle about the spout axis (A), through the closure aperture (76) to bring an attachment face (20a) of the attachment collar (20) in abutment with said first face (74a); and attaching the attachment collar (20) to said first face (74a).

Description

Field of the invention The present invention relates to a child-resistant closure configured to be attached to a carton package for household chemicals, to a carton package provided with such a closure, and to methods of producing such closures and carton packages. Background Pourable household chemicals are generally sold in plastic bottles. However, there is a general strive in the packaging business to reduce the amounts of plastics used for packages, both for environmental reasons and for reasons of cost. Various types of household chemicals, such as soap, are therefore also sold in plastic bags intended for re-filling plastic bottles already in use. There is however a need to further reduce the use of plastics, as well as to facilitate the use of household chemicals for the end user. Summary It is an object of the present invention to solve, or at least mitigate, parts or all of the above mentioned problems. To this end, there is provided a child-resistant closure configured to be attached to a carton package for a pourable household chemical, the closure comprising an attachment collar extending along an attachment plane and having an attachment face configured to be attached to an interior face of the carton package; a spout extending from the attachment collar along a spout axis, the spout having a circular cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the spout axis; and a cap arrangement comprising an attachment ring rotatably attached to the spout, a hinge, and a reclosable flip cap held to the attachment ring by the hinge, the flip cap being movable between a fully closed position in which it closes a pouring outlet of the spout, and an open position in which the pourable household chemical may be poured from the pouring outlet, by pivoting the flip cap about the hinge, wherein the flip cap comprises a cap mantle at least partially circumferentially surrounding an outer perimeter of the pouring outlet of the spout, wherein an inside face of the cap mantle comprises, opposite to the hinge across the spout, a locking hook extending radially inwards towards the spout axis, and a radially outer face of the spout comprises a locking track configured to receive the locking hook when the flip cap is in the fully closed position, the locking track extending circumferentially about the spout axis, wherein the cap arrangement is rotatable in relation to the spout about the spout axis with the locking hook received in the locking track, wherein the cap mantle further comprises, between the hinge and the locking hook, a pair of opposing depression areas separated from the spout by a mantle gap enabling the depression areas of the mantle to be pressed towards the spout, such that the cap mantle is resiliently ovalized and moves the locking hook in a direction radially outwards from the locking track. Such a closure requires multiple simultaneous actions for opening, which is generally desired from a child-resistant closure; by pressing the depression areas towards the spout / towards each other, the locking hook is moved in a direction out of the locking track / in a direction away from the hinge, and the flip cap can only thereafter be opened by pivoting the flip cap about the hinge. The closure also adds a further child-resistant safety feature; by allowing the closure to be rotated about the spout axis, the child receives no feedback that it attempts to open the closure in the wrong way. Instead, the flip cap is likely to be mistaken for a screw cap, and the child may occupy itself with trying to unscrew the flip cap from the spout until it catches the attention of an adult. Through the provision of a compact and simple, yet child-resistant, closure for a carton package, an inexpensive and environmentally friendly packaging may be obtained for household chemicals which may need to be kept out of reach for children. Suitable household chemicals for such packaging may be, for example, liquid or powder detergent for laundry, dishwashing and/or household cleaning, liquid soap, shampoo, lubricants such as engine oil, etc. The extent of the depression areas may be indicated to the user by e.g. an embossment, such as by friction protrusions formed in the outer surface of the cap mantle. Even though the closure is opened by pressing the sides of the cap mantle, the closure does not need to be attached to the carton package with the cap arrangement in any particular orientation about the spout axis in order to enable convenient access to the depression areas. Instead, the end user of the carton package may, prior to opening the carton package, rotate the flip cap arrangement to a position in which the depression areas are easily gripped. This particularly facilitates use of the closure in positions where space is limited, for example near the top of a gable-top package. Moreover, commonly available carton package production lines adapted for attaching screw caps may be used without any substantial modifications for at