Opening arrangement for a container package

Abstract: The invention relates to an opening arrangement (1) for laminated container packages (2, 5) or cartons of the single-use disposable type. The opening arrangement (1) consists of an inner pouring spout (12) which constitutes a closed part continuous with the container package (2, 5), and an outer screw stopper-like sealing portion (4). The outer sealing portion (4) consists of an outer, left-hand threaded part (18) and and inner, right-hand threaded portion (19), and a pull-off ring (16) disposed therebetween. Penetration devices (14) are provided in the inner part (18) of the sealing portion (4), the penetration devices cutting off the inner pouring spout (12) when the container package is opened.

Description: The present invention relates to an opening arrangement for a container package including a sealing portion which inflexibly engages with and surrounds a pouring spout whose end faces away from the container package, in accordance with the first part of claim 1. Container packages or cartons of the single-use disposable type are largely employed today to pack consumer goods such as, for example, beverages like milk or juice. The container package is made from a laminate with carrier layers of paperboard or cardboard, different layers of thermoplastic being laminated thereto. The laminate may also have a different core material, such as metal foil. The packaging material, which may be in web form or as sheet blanks, is folded, sealed and finally formed into a liquid-tight container package. The finished container package should naturally also include an opening arrangement which must be simple to open and pour from, with the liquid contents in a compact jet and without any risk of spilling or dripping. However, it has proved that container packages manufactured from a packaging material consisting of a paper laminate may be difficult to tear open and fold to form a functional pouring spout. Moreover, when the intention is to reclose and reseal the container package, it is not possible to make the package liquid-tight once again. It is also known in the art to manufacture container packages whose main portion consists of a packaging laminate in accordance with the above description, but whose upper defining surface consists of an injection moulded thermoplastic lid. The thermoplastic lid also includes an opening arrangement integral with the lid. This opening arrangement is relatively easy to open but neither is this version liquid-tight on reclosure and resealing. In order to obviate the above-outlined drawbacks, various forms of penetrating screw stoppers or plugs have been produced which are intended to be placed on the surface of the container package so that the screw plug penetrates through the surface layer when the package is opened. It is further known in the art to form a partly integrated pouring spout from the surface of the packaging material. The pouring spout is surrounded by a sealing portion of the so-called screw stopper or plug type which, on being opened, tears off an outer portion of the pouring spout. That part of the pouring spout which is torn off during the opening operation has been sealed against the outer sealing portion by means of heat. As a result, the tear-off operation generally entails that the pouring spout has no smooth outer edge, which may render difficult pouring of the contents enclosed in the container package. Not all of the prior art types of screw stopper opening are provided with an arrangement which prevents the unauthorized opening of the container package. Today, consumers greatly appreciate an opening arrangement in which it may immediately be seen that no unauthorized person has been able to open the container package and tamper with its contents. It is, therefore, desirable that a screw stopper or plug also include an arrangement which prevents the unauthorized opening of the container package. An opening arrangement according to the first part of claim 1 is described in FR-A-1 561 377. The penetration device is formed by a cylindrical body extending axially from the inner wall of the bottom of the outer cap in the center thereof. The free end of the whole cylinder comprises a relatively sharp rim, on one side thereof, which rim is pressed against a closing foil which foil will be destroyed in the case of the screwing of the outer cap onto the inner part. Such tear-off operation is also described in GB-A-2 241 224. The cylindrical penetration device thereof comprises a number of sharp tips on the free end thereof in order to allow such tear-off operation whereafter the tear-off layer part are bent inwardly into the bottle. Such opening arrangements comprise some disadvantages during pouring of the content of the bottle. It is an object of the present invention to ensure that the opening of the pouring spout will retain its width formed by the penetration device and that the opening comprises a smooth edge. Solving this problem allows to pour the content (filling goods) without spilling and without dripping. The invention is characterized in claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the present invention have further been given the characterizing features as set forth in the appended subclaims. One preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in greater detail hereinbelow with particular reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an opening arrangement according to the present invention in a container package of known type; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the opening arrangement according to the present invention in another type of container package; Figs. 3A-E show stepwise and partly in section how an opening arrangement according to the present invention is applied to a container package according to Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a side elevation partly in section of the opening arrangement according to the present invention in the wholly unopened state; and Fig. 5 is a side elevation partly in section of the opening arrangement according to the present invention after opening has been instigated. The Drawings show only those details essential to an understanding of the present invention. Fig. 1 shows an opening arrangement 1 according to the present invention applied to a container package 2 of known type. The container package 2, which is manufactured from a laminate with a core of paper, cardboard or metal to which is laminated different layers of thermoplastic, is folded, sealed and formed into a so-called gable-top carton 2. The opening arrangement 1 is placed on one of the upper defining surfaces 3 of the carton 2 forming a so-called gable-top. The Figure shows only the outer sealing portion 4 of the opening arrangement 1, this portion being formed as a screw stopper of substantially conventional type, with interior threading, or alternatively a snap top with an inner bead (not shown). Fig. 2 shows another type of container package 5 also of known type in which the lower portion of the container package 5 consists of a laminate in accordance with the above description. The upper defining surface 6 of the container package 5 consists of a thermoplastic panel, part of the surface of which has been formed into a pouring spout surrounded by an outer sealing portion 4. The remaining parts of the thermoplastic panel are folded about the upper edge of the container package 5 and are sealed by means of heat against the thermoplastic surface of the packaging laminate. Figs. 3A-E schematically show how an opening arrangement 1 according to the present invention is realized in a container package 2 according to Fig. 1. A circular opening 7 (Fig. 3A) is made in one of the upper sloping gable-top panels 3 of the container package 2. A thermoplastic panel 8 is placed inside the circular opening 7, this panel having a diameter which exceeds that of the circular opening 7 in the wall surface 3 of the container package 2. As shown in Fig. 3B, the thermoplastic panel 8 is sealed interiorly against the inner wall surface of the container package 2 by means of a sealing tool 9. In Fig. 3C, the thermoplastic panel 8 is heated to a temperature at which the thermoplastic plasticizes (for polyethylene approx. 110°C) with the aid of a heater 10. Once the thermoplastic panel 8 has become plasticized and pliable, it is subjected to vacuum or pressure forming in a moulding tool 11 as illustrated in Fig. 3D. The outer sealing portion 4 acts as a mould for the vacuum forming, i.e. the screw stopper which is to surround the pouring spout 12. Fig. 3E finally shows the finished pouring spout 12 provided with threads 15. The pouring spout 1 is completely sealed and constitutes a liquid-tight part of the container package 2 when the outer sealing fin or flap 13 is finally sealed together after the filling operation. Fig. 4 shows the opening arrangement 1 according to the present invention in that state in which it is to be found on the carton 2 when the consumer first handles it. As a result of the ring 16 which is fixed or sealed to the outer sealing portion 4, the consumer is guaranteed that no-one can have tampered with or unrightfully opened the carton 2. The ring 16, which is made of plastic material, can be provided with a thumb grip 17 in order to facilitate grasping of the ring for tearing-off. Naturally, the opening arrangement 1 may also be manufactured without the ring 16 but those advantages afforded by the ring 16 from the point of view of the consumer will then be lost. The outer sealing portion 4 consists of two parts, the first being an outer screw cap like part 18 which is left-hand threaded. In the upper region of this outer screw cap like part 18, there are provided at least two, and preferably four penetration devices 14. The penetration devices 14 may consist of small bevelled plastic pieces which project out from the inner wall of the bottom 4a of the cap like outer part 18 of the sealing portion 4. They may also consist of small metal pieces which have been fixed in place. The sealing portion 4 also has an inner part 19 which is right-hand threaded and fits the threads 15 of the pouring spout 12. This inner part 19 is not of the same height as the outer part 18 but terminates before the penetration devices 14 with a tightly sealing plastic washer 20. The tightly sealing plastic washer 20 serves as a seal for the inner part 19 of the sealing portion 4 and the upper part of the pouring spout 12 is thus formed against this plastic washer 20. Fig. 5 shows the opening arrangement 1 according to the present invention once the pull-ring 16 has been removed and the outer part 18 of the sealing portion 4 has been screwed with left-hand turn down to a stop heel 21. This stop heel 21 constitutes a component of the inner part 19 of the sealing portion 4 and is located most proximal the end wall of the container package. As the outer part 18 of the sealing portion 4 reaches this position, the penetration devices 14 will also cut through the plastic washer 20 which terminates the inner part 19 of the sealing portion 4, at the same time as they penetrate through the upper region of the pouring spout 12. The outer part 18 of the sealing portion 4 is locked in its lower position, for example by plastic barbs which are placed between the outer part 18 and the stop heel 21 (not shown in the Figure). Because the penetration devices 14 are placed in such a manner that they are angled, slightly in towards the centre of the pouring spout, they will, on removal of the outer sealing portion 4, retain the severed portions of the plastic washer 20 and the pouring spout 12. In order further to ensure retention of the severed portions of the plastic washer 20 and the pouring spout 12, a screw fixed in the inside of the outer part 18 of the sealing portion 4 can be disposed simultaneously to penetrate down into the plastic washer 20 and the pouring spout 12 and retain the severed portions when the sealing portion 4 is unscrewed from the opening arrangement 1. The penetration devices 14 should be at least two in number but are four in number in the preferred embodiment. The number of penetration devices 14 is dependant upon the length and pitch of the thread 15. The longer the thread 15, the fewer will be the number of penetration devices 14 required. The penetration devices 14 must together be capable of cutting off a complete circular surface of the plastic washer 20 and the pouring spout 12. As will have been apparent from the above description, the present invention realizes an opening arrangement for conventional container packages or cartons which is simple to open and reseal. The consumer is guaranteed a container package which has not been opened by unauthorized hands and, as a result of the perforation or penetration devices characteristic of the present invention, the user will obtain a pouring spout which makes possible pouring of the contents of the container package without spilling and without dripping. The present invention should not be considered as restricted to that described above and shown on the Drawings, many modifications being conceivable without departing from the scope of the appended Claims.

Claims: An opening arrangement for a container package (2, 5) including a sealing portion (4) which inflexibly engages with and surrounds a pouring spout (12), whose end faces away from the container package (2, 5) and comprises a continuous, liquid-tight material layer, wherein said sealing portion (4) consists of an inner threaded part (19) and an outer screw cap like threaded part (18) the threadening thereof is contrary to the threadening of the inner threaded part (19) which outer threaded part (18) comprises a penetration device extending from the inner wall of the bottom part (4a) of the outer threaded part (18) and is oriented inwardly towards the pouring spout (12) characterized in that the penetration device consists of at least two penetration pieces (14) which are obliquely inclined so that their tips point in towards the centre of the pouring spout (12) and are able to cut off a complete circular surface of said liquid-tight material layer forming a washer (20). Opening arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the penetration devices comprise four penetration pieces (14) which are arranged to retain a severed portion of said washer (20). Opening arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a ring (16) is provided for the sealing portion (4) between said outer part (18) and said inner part (19), said ring (16) being secured against the outer part (18) and intended to be removed before opening of the container package (2, 5). Opening arrangement as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pouring spout (12) is made of a material which includes layered thermoplastic, preferably polyethylene. Opening arrangement as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the thermoplastic material constitutes a part of the upper end wall (6) of the container package (5).

Inventors: BERGGREN GOERAN, NEDSTEDT ULF, BERGGREN, GOERAN, NEDSTEDT, ULF, Berggren, Göran
Applicants: TETRA LAVAL HOLDINGS & FINANCE, TETRA LAVAL HOLDINGS & FINANCE SA
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B65D51
IPC codes: B31B1, B65D51, B65D5