Abstract:
A device for closing and opening a container has a tubular member having an axis, an inner hollow and two open end portions one of which is detachably connectable with a container so as to surround its opening, and a closing member movable between a first position in which it closes the other end portion of the tubular member so as to prevent access to the container&#39;s opening, and a second position in which said closing member is removed from the other end portion of the tubular member so as to allow the access to the container&#39;s opening. The tubular member may be fixed to the container in the region of its opening by a plurality of fixing means.

Description:
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a device for closing an opening of a container. 
     Many containers which accomodate liquid and solid materials have a disadvantage in that when they are once opened, they cannot be hermetically closed after such opening. This is true, for example for such containers as paper food containers accomodating juices and other drinks, for boxes accommodating salt, dough, sugar and the like, for sacks accommodating cement and other construction materials. These containers are not hermetically closed after opening, and therefore the materials contained therein are subjected to deleterious action of the surrounding conditions are dirtied by insects, rodents and the like. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art. 
     More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device which guarantees closing of a container which has been opened before, and such closing is performed easily and inexpensively. 
     In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in a device which has a tubular member having two open end portions, one of which open end portions being detachably connected with the container, whereas the other open end portion is associated with a closing member, the latter being movable between a closed position in which it closes the other open end of the tubular member so as to interrupt access to the container&#39;s opening, and an open position in which the closing member is removed so that access to the container&#39;s opening is unobstructed. 
     Thus, the tubular member can be temporality attached to an outer or inner surface of the container so as to surround its opening, and the closing member can close or open the tubular member. After emptying and utilizing of the container, the tubular member can be removed and attached to a new container. The above mentioned opening in container may be made by any known method. 
     The novel features which are considered to be characteristic for the present invention are set forth in detail in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of manufacture and operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following specification and description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a view showing a section of a device for closing an opening a container in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a view showing a section of a device for closing and opening in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a view showing a section of a device for closing and opening in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3a is a plan view of the device for closing and opening shown in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of a device for closing and opening in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 shows a device for closing and opening which simultaneously serves as a tool for making an opening in a container; and 
     FIG. 6 is a view showing a device for closing and opening which simultaneously serves as a dosing vessel for dosing a material to be discharged from the container. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 depicts a device for closing and opening a container whose wall is identified by reference numeral 1. The device has a tubular member 3 having an axis and one axial end portion 3&#39; which is hermetically connectable with the wall 1 of the container so as to surround the opening 2 which is produced in the wall 1 by known methods. The hermetic connection is attained by that the end portion 3&#39; is constituted by an elastic material such as a synthetic plastic material (advantageously rubber), and has at least one groove 4. Two or more such grooves 4 and 5 may be provided whereas only two are shown in FIG. 1. 
     When the end portion 3&#39; of the tubular member 3 is firmly pressed against the wall 1 of the container, air is expelled from the grooves 4 and 5 and thereby the end portion 3&#39; is attracted to the wall 1. This connection is detachable inasmuch as the end portion 3&#39; can be separated from the wall 1 by pulling the tubular member 3 away from the same. 
     Another axial end portion 3&#34; of the tubular member 3 is closed by a cap 6 which is provided, for example, with a thread which meshes with a thread provided on the tubular member 3. Thus, the opening 2 of the container is hermetically closed when the cap 6 is screwed on the end portion 3&#34; of the tubular member 3. When it is necessary to discharge the material from the container which is originally closed, the opening 2 is first made in the wall 1 of the container. For example, the opening 2 may be made by cutting the wall 1 of the milk container or cement sack. Then, the end portion 3&#39; of the tubular member 3 is attached to the wall 1 so as to surround the opening 2. The cap 6 is fitted onto the end portion 3&#34; of the tubular member 3. For discharging purposes, the cap 6 is removed from the tubular member 3 and a necessary amount of the container contents is discharged through the thus opened tubular member 3. Then, the cap 6 is again screwed onto the tubular member 3 and the container is hermetically closed. 
     When the container is emptied, the tubular member is detached therefrom and attached to a new container in the same way. Filling of the container with a material is performed similarly. The tubular member may have any cross section, such as square, circular and the like. FIG. 2 depicts a device in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention. In this case, a disc 7 is fitted on the tubular member 3. the disc has a radially outer section 7&#39; and a radially inner section 7&#34;. The section 7&#34; is located axially outwardly of and in contact with the end portion 3&#39; of the tubular member 3 so as to press the same toward and retain the same near the wall 1 of the container. The section 7&#39; is connected with the wall 1 of the container by a layer of glue. The lower surface of the section 7&#39; may also be self-sticking and the like. 
     A separating member such as a thread or the like identified by reference numeral 8 is embedded in the disc 7 in the region between the sections 7&#39; and 7&#34;. When the tubular member is to be detached from the container, the thread 8 is pulled in a circumferential direction and cuts through the above mentioned regions between the sections 7&#39; and 7&#34; thereby separating the same from each other. An additional holding disc 9 may be screwed onto the tubular member 3 so as to urge the section 7&#34; of the disc 7 into firm abutment against the end portion 3&#39; of the tubular member 3. 
     The tubular member 3 may engage the wall 1 of the container from inside. As can be seen from FIGS. 3, 3a, this portion can be shaped with an oval extension 3a and separated by a groove from the remainder portion of the tubular member 3. The opening 2 of the wall 1 of the container is also oval-shaped. In order to insert the end portion 3&#39; of the tubular member 3 into the opening 2, the end portion 3&#39; is so placed on the wall 1 that the axes of the oval extension 3a of the end portion 3&#39; and the opening 2 coincide with each other. Then the portion 3a is pushed through the opening 2 into the interior of the container to a small extent, and immediately after this is turned so as to deviate from the above mentioned coincidence with the oval-shaped opening. Thus, the end portion 3a of the tubular member 3 engages the wall 1 of the container from inside. 
     As depicted in FIG. 4, the end portion 3&#39; may be provided with a plurality of radially extending projections 11. An additional disc 12 is asociated with the tubular member 3 and has a plurality of rotatable engaging members 13. When the disc 12 is inserted into the interior of the container through the opening 2 and the tubular member 3 rotates in a direction identified by the arrow, the projections 11 turn the engaging members 13 so that the latter extend beyond the outer contour of the disc 12 and engage the wall 1 of the container from inside. 
     The tubular member 3 of FIG. 5 is provided with means for making the opening 2 in the wall 1 of the container. This means may be formed by a plurality of teeth 14 provided in the region of the end portion 3&#39;. By rotating of the tubular member 3 and firmly pressing the teeth 14 against the wall 1 of the container, the teeth 14 cut through the opening 2 in the wall 1. When the opening is made, the tubular member 3 can again be detachably connected to the wall 1 of the container by any of the above described methods. 
     Advantageously, the tubular member 3 has a relatively big length. More particularly, it has such a length that it guides the material when the latter moves through the tubular member from the container or vice versa. This is shown in FIG. 6 in which the tubular member 3 is formed as a long pipe. 
     The tubular member 3 may also serve dosing purposes. For example, it may be flexible as a result of being constituted by a flexible material. When the cap 6 is screwed on the tubular member 3 and a dose of the material is discharged into the tubular member 3, the latter may be bent in the direction transverse to the axis of the tubular member in the region adjacent to the end portion 3&#39;. Thereby the dose of the material received into the tubular member 3 is separated from the interior of the container, After removal of the cap 6, the thus separated dose can be discharged from the tubular member 3. 
     Means for facilitating the above-mentioned bending may be provided. This means may be formed by a groove 15 at a predetermined axial location of the tubular member 3. The tubular member in this case may be substantially rigid over the entire length with the exception of the region of the groove 15 wherein the tubular member 3 is flexible. The separating of a dose is performed by bending of the tubular member 3 in the region of the groove 15. Several such grooves may be provided in the tubular member 3 and spaced from one another in the axial direction of the latter. In this case it is possible to bend the tubular member 3 in the region of the groove 16 so as to separate and thereafter to discharge a small dose of material accommodated within the region between the groove 16 and the cap 6. It is also possible to bend the tubular member 3 in the region of the groove 15 so as to separate and to thereafter discharge a greater dose accommodated between the regions of the groove 15 and cap 6. 
     It is also possible to, provide other constructions for connecting the tubular member with the wall of the container. For example, the end portion 3&#39; of the tubular member 3 can be engaged in the opening 2 of the wall 1 with snap action, and the like. The tubular member may have cross-sections of different shapes. 
     It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above. 
     While the invention has been illustrated as embeddied in a closing an opening device of specific constructions, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. 
     Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others by applying current knowledge can readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of this invention.