Abstract:
A single-piece plastic lid, having a lower part and a cap. The cap is connected to the lower part via a hinge. The lid has a guarantee strip to ensure that the lid cannot be opened unnoticed and that the lid cannot be removed from the container without damaging the guarantee strip. Thus, the guarantee strip has additional elements which enable a positive fit with both the lower part and the neck of the container. Corresponding positive fit elements are also provided on the container neck, for example in the form of snap-in elements.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a one-piece plastic closure to be fastened on a container neck, with a fastener on the container neck for the interlocking and/or frictional connection of the plastic closure with the container neck, wherein the plastic closure has a lower element and a cap pivotably connected by at least one film hinge. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Increasingly greater demands are made by manufacturers for security of packaging, in particular in connection with packaging of food and cosmetics. With most current closures, depending on the type of the closure, either the connection between the closure and the container is secured appropriately, or guarantee elements are provided, which are intended to indicate intactness. While the first mentioned variation has screw closures in particular, the second mentioned embodiment mainly has a flip top. With most of the last mentioned variations, these are so-called snap hinge closures. There is a conventional plastic flip-top closure with a guarantee element described in PCT International Application WO 94/03371, wherein a guarantee element indicates whether the cap has been opened with respect to the lower element of the closure, and also indicates if, following the original closed state, the closure has been removed from the container. This solution does not use a guarantee strip, but a tear seal provided in the cap surface, which extends through the upper cover surface of the lower element and is in interlocking and frictionally-connected engagement with the fastening means on the container neck by a detent shoulder. It has been shown that this extremely elegant solution places extremely high demands on the production technology, and in the course of assembly often leads to defects, particularly of the seal. A further problem is that the destruction of the seal apparently is less obvious to the public than a customary guarantee strip when it has been torn off. 
     The guarantee strips of flip hinge closures are arranged on the lower element of the closure, and appropriate protrusions are arranged on the cap, which allow an interlocking connection between the cap and the guarantee strip, and therefore indirectly with the lower element. A one-piece plastic closure is known from PCT International Application WO 93/00271. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Departing from known prior art, it is one object of this invention to alter a known closure so that, without the addition of further elements, it is possible to achieve, merely with the guarantee strip, a protection of the closure against unauthorized opening, as well as against removal and subsequent replacement of the closure, as a perfect and cheap guarantee of intactness. 
     This object is attained by a one-piece plastic closure for fastening on a corresponding container neck, having the characteristics described in this specification and in the claims. 
     While present guarantee strips have always only prevented one degree of movement of a closure, namely either the possibility of a pivoting movement of the cap toward the lower element or, on the other hand, a movement component directed in the axial direction of the bottle neck for securing the closure at the container, in this invention a guarantee strip is designed such that it can perform a dual function. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Two exemplary embodiments of the subject of this invention are shown in detail wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section view taken through a one-piece plastic closure in a completely open state and placed on top of a bottle neck; 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the closure in FIG. 1 in a closed state with a view of a guarantee strip; 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of the same plastic closure in accordance with FIG. 1, in the same position as shown; 
     FIGS. 4 to  6  each show a detail of the closure in accordance with FIGS. 1 to  3  to explain the various finctions of the closure, wherein FIG. 4 shows during the placement of the closure on the container, FIG. 5 shows in the secured original position, and FIG. 6 shows during the removal of the guarantee strip; 
     FIG. 7 is a vertical longitudinal section view taken through a completely opened plastic closure, in a second embodiment; 
     FIG. 8 is a side view of the closed closure in accordance with FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a top view of the closure in accordance with FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 10 is a section view taken through the container neck, which is designed to fit the closure in accordance with FIGS. 7 to  9 ; and 
     FIG. 11 is a front view of a container neck designed to fit the closure. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A typical one-piece plastic closure is shown in FIGS. 1 to  3 , comprising a lower element  1  and a cap or lid  2  connected with it by means of a hinge  3 . A guarantee strip  4  is attached to the lid  2 . The entire closure is fastened on a container neck  5 . The container neck  5  forms the outlet opening for the container  50 . 
     The lower element  1  comprises a cylindrical casing wall  11 , which is closed at the top by a cover surface  12 . A nozzle  13  in the form of a spout  14  is provided in the cover surface  12 . A ring-shaped wall is arranged on an underside of the cover surface  12 , which forms a sealing lip  15  and, when the closure is placed, rests sealingly against an inner face of the container neck  5 . Appropriate fastening means  54  are provided on the inner face of the casing wall for fixing the closure on the container neck  5 . The fastening means  54  can be so-called holding beads, which are applied in a ring shape, or can be elements which are arranged on a single circle projecting inward in the form of knob. All these fastening means  54  are known in various embodiments in the prior art. In the example represented, the fastening means  54  is a screw thread. 
     The cap or lid  2  is arranged, hingedly connected in one piece with the lower element  1  by means of the binge  3 . The cap  2  also has a cylindrical casing wall  21 , which is also closed by a cover surface  23 . A sealing pin  24  is attached to an inner face of the cover surface  23 , which sealingly extends into the nozzle opening  13  in the closed state of the closure. In the closed state of the closure, the casing walls  11 , or respectively  21 , of the lower element  1  or of the cap  2 , are aligned above each other. A recess, which is used as a recessed grip  22 , is provided in the casing wall  21 . In the area of this recessed grip  22 , the casing wall  21  of the lid is not aligned with the casing wall  11  of the lower element. The hinge  3  is used to form the pivot axis  30  and comprises one or two film hinges  31 , on which laterally adjoining clamping elements  32  are provided, which are used to create a snap effect. 
     The guarantee strip  4  is fastened on the cap  2  by means of the predetermined breaking point  40 . The guarantee strip  4  extends concentrically with respect to the casing wall  21  of the lid  2 . Only in an area of the recessed grip  22  does the guarantee strip  4  not follow this recess. The guarantee strip  4  is essentially arranged outwardly offset by its thickness with respect to the casing wall  21  of the cap  2 . The connection, which represents the so-called predetermined breaking point  40 , can either be formed as a thin rip seam, or formed by a plurality of strips  42 . The strips  42  are symbolically shown in FIG. 1, although normally they would not be visible in the drawings. In the embodiment of FIGS. 7 to  9 , the predetermined breaking point  40  is identified as a rip seam  41 . The guarantee strip  4  is arranged diametrically opposite the hinge  3 . The guarantee strip  4  extends maximally over approximately one-half of the circumference of the lid  2 . While the guarantee strip  4  is raised in the center, its height is symmetrically reduced laterally. In the area of the recess formed by the recessed grip  22 , an additional means  44 , which may have a shape of a tongue  46 , is attached, pointing toward the center of the lid  2 , on the guarantee strip  4 . In addition, a barb  45  is formed on the tongue  46 . The barb  45  extends over the entire height of the tongue  46 . The tongue  46  is of the same height as the guarantee strip  4  at this location. However, in this embodiment the guarantee strip  4  is always of lesser height than the height of the casing wall  11  of the lower element  1 . Accordingly, the opening  17  in the lower element  1 , directed downward from the cover surface  12 , is not so long that the casing wall  11  is pierced. 
     When first closing the closure, the tongue  46  on the guarantee strip  4  is inserted into the opening  17  in the lower element  1  in the course of the pivot movement of the cap  2  around the hinge  3 . Once the cap  2  is completely pushed sealingly on the lower element  1 , nose-shaped protrusions  18 , which are arranged on the outer casing wall  11  of the lower element  1 , engage the interlocking recesses  43  at the upper edge of the guarantee strip  4 . The nose-shaped protrusions  18  on the casing wall  11  are arranged approximately flush with the upper edge of the casing wall  11 . The closure is delivered to a bottler in this closed state, as shown in FIG.  2 . The bottler fills the respective containers and then screws the closed closure on the container neck  5 . The container neck  5  has a depression on its periphery as the interlocking means. This depression can be practically designed in such a way that the screw thread or the fastening means  54  on the container neck  5  is disrupted by a sharp edge at least on the one side and in this way cooperates with the tongue  44  on the guarantee strip  4 . Such a container neck is shown in FIG.  11 . The screw thread on the container neck  5  can be clearly seen. The screw thread is interrupted in the area  55 , so that it has a sharp-edged shape on the one side, which forms the actual interlocking means  53 . But the interrupted screw thread again rises in a ramp-shape to the original height at the point  56 . This design makes it possible to screw the closure on in a screw-on direction without the tongue  44  working together here with the interlocking means  53  in a locking way, while in the unscrewing direction the tongue  44  comes into contact with the sharpedged interruption and in this way makes unscrewing impossible. This is shown in detail in FIGS. 4 to  6 . It can be seen in FIG. 4 that the tongue  44  slides over the screw thread, represented in hatching, with the barb  45 . Because of the opening  15  provided in the lower element  1 , this can be seen in the top view on the closure. The recess  43  in the guarantee strip  4  is also clearly seen here, as well as the nose-shaped protrusion  18 , which engages the interlocking recess  43 . Because of the matched screw threads on the closure and the container neck  5 , in the completely screwed-on state, as shown in FIG. 5, the tongue  44  rests in the area of the interlocking means  53 . In this way it is also assured that the guarantee element  4  cannot be destroyed by screwing it in too far. If, however, it is intended to unscrew the closure, as shown in FIG. 6, the tongue  53  comes to rest against the interlocking means  53 . But at the same time the barb  45  still engages the lower element  1 , so that complete locking occurs. Only if the guarantee strip  4  is torn off and the strips  42  are destroyed in the process, can the tongue  44  be moved out of its guarantee position. 
     While with the solution just described, the additional means in accordance with this invention on the guarantee strip passes through the casing wall  11  of the lower element  1  of the closure, wherein in the guarantee position an interlock between the guarantee strip  4  and the lower element  1 , there is an interlock between the additional means on the guarantee strip  4  and the container neck  5 , as well as the lower element  1  of the closure. The embodiment in accordance with FIGS. 7 to  10  has the same solution in accordance with this invention, but this is achieved by different means. The general structure of the closure is nearly identical. This closure also comprises a lower element  1  and a cap  2 , connected in one piece with it by means of a hinge  3 . The guarantee strip  4  is again arranged on the cap  2  via a predetermined breaking point, which here is designed as a rip seam  41 , offset outward on the lower edge of the cap  2  at least approximately by the thickness of the guarantee strip  4 . However, in contrast with the previously described solution, the guarantee strip  4  is arranged higher than the height of the casing wall  11  of the lower element  1 . Several inwardly projecting cams  44  are formed on the lower edge of the guarantee strip  4  as additional means. The interlocking recesses  43  along the upper edge of the guarantee strip  4  are also still provided. In the completely open position in accordance with FIG. 7, these means can be seen, naturally rotated by 180°, since in this state the lower edge of the guarantee strip  4  is on top in the drawings. In the closed position of the closure, partially drawn in dashed lines, the lower edge of the guarantee strip  4  projects past the casing wall  11  of the lower element  1 , and the cams  44  can project underneath the casing wall  11  of the lower element  1 . In the transition area to the container  50 , the container neck  5  has a collar  51 , on which snap-in means  52  are arranged at least along a half of the circumference. These sawtooth-shaped snap-in means make it possible to screw the already closed closure onto the container neck  5  of the container  50 . The cams  44 , already mentioned as additional means, can be designed as inwardly directed lamellas, which can be moved in a ratchet-like manner in the screw-on direction over the sawtooth-shaped snap-in means  52 , while this is not possible in the screwing direction. Therefore, on the one hand the lid  2  can be opened only by removing the guarantee strip  4 , and on the other hand the entire closure can be unscrewed, or respectively removed, from the container neck  5 . With this solution it is possible to produce closures without problems which, in place of a screw thread, have a so-called snap-on bead. In such a case it is no longer necessary that the additional means designed as the cams  44  are designed as flexible lamellas, but instead they can be made relatively rigid and can be practically directed toward the interior. However, this is an absolutely known equivalent solution for one skilled in the art. In contrast to the previously mentioned solution, this variation can also be produced without problems in connection with relatively large closures. With smaller closures, the variation in accordance with FIGS. 1 to  6  is rather preferred. 
     The general inventive principle has of course also been retained in this solution. While present guarantee strips  4  always provided only the interlocked connection between the lower element  1  and the cap  2 , it is possible here, because of the appropriate additional means on the guarantee strip  4 , to make the connection between the guarantee strip  4  and the container  50 , or respectively the container neck  5 , at the same time. Therefore a plastic closure is offered which, without additionally produced parts or an additional assembly process, is in a position of providing a real guarantee of intactness. It is not only assured that the closure cannot be opened prior to first use, but also the closure cannot be removed unnoticed from the container  50  and therefore cannot be manipulated on the goods. This assurance could not practically be achieved with the known closures with guarantee strips  4  without an added outlay.