Abstract:
The present invention is a bottle closure means which utilizes a cap hinged to a collar which is in turn mounted on the bottle. The invention has a spring-action strip which yieldably forces the cap into a closed position, thus sealing the bottle.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to bottle closure means. Closure means of this type are produced in many countries by the millions and used for all sorts of bottles, for instance for cleansing agents and cosmetics. In these closure means, the cap is held in two possible stable positions by the springacting strip, namely, in the open position and in a position shortly preceding the closure position. 
     These closure means suffer from the drawback that while the cap can be opened by one manual action, two manual operations on the other hand are required for closing. The geometry in the closure means known so far is such that the spring-acting strip loses its tension during the closing procedure before the cap closes completely. Accordingly, closure means of this kind ordinarily are provided with a snap connection which require first flipping over the cap into the closure position and second, snapping the closure into position by further pressing the cap. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the object of the present invention to further develop closure means of the mentioned type that are free from the above cited shortcoming in that the cap once it has snapped beyond the dead or reversal point automatically arrives in the closure position and if appropriate, also implements thereby a snap-in connection. 
     This problem is solved by the invention (shown in FIG. 4) in that for such a closure means in the open state of the cap and for relaxed spring strip, the angle (alpha) between the straight line G&#39; through the hinge points FD&#39; and DK and the straight line G through the same points when the cap is in its reversal dead position is larger than the corresponding angle in the closed state of the cap (angle beta). 
     To keep such a cap reliably closed and to make sure any snap connection will snap, the angle alpha shall be at least 5°, especially at least 10°, and preferably at least 20° larger than the angle beta. 
     Ordinarily such closure means are manufactured by injection molding machines, whereby the closure means must be so made that after being ejected from the mold, the cap will be in an open position swung out by 180°, the spring acting strip naturally also being made in that position, in which it is relaxed. Where closure means are made in this manner, preferably the straight line G, and the longitudinal axis of the collar intersect at an acute angle above the seal. This acute angle may be about 1° to 20°, especially 5° to 20° and preferably 10° to 20° in order to provide a sufficient compression of the closed cap against the collar. 
     To obtain such a geometry, the simplest way is for the hinge point FK to be on a projection of the collar and farther away from the center axis of this collar than the hinge point DK. 
     Because the spring acting strip is under higher stress in the closure means of the invention and because also it remains under stress when the cap is in the closed position, this spring strip preferably will be reinforced in the middle region. When arcuate in shape, it may be like a new moon, but when angular, the reinforcement preferably will be at the lower side of such a knee. The reinforcements are located in the middle region of the spring acting strip because the highest righting forces act there when the spring acting strip is stressed. 
     In the known closure means that part sealing the pour aperture of the collar ordinarily consists of a pin with a small reinforced head simultaneously forming a snap seal. To facilitate the snapping shut of the cap in the closure means of the invention, such a pin passing into the pour aperture preferably will not be in the shape of a small head but rather in that of a slight cone. As the cap in the closure means of the invention is kept in its sealing position by the spring acting strip, the slightly conical pin need not have an undercut for snapping into the pour opening. However, such an undercut may be provided if desired. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 are a section and a top view, respectively, of an open, known closure means as defined by the preamble of the present independent claim; 
     FIG. 3 shows the geometric relationships when closing a closure means of FIGS. 1 and 2; and 
     FIG. 4 is an embodiment of a closure means of the invention showing the geometric relationships when sealing the closure means. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Both the known closure means and that of the invention consist of a collar 1 with an internal thread 2 for screwing onto a bottle. The collar furthermore comprises a pour opening 3. A cap 4 is hinged through a spring hinge 5 to the hinging point DK at the rim of the collar 1. The cap at its center comprises a clearance 6 which divides the spring hinge 5 and serves to receive an angled spring acting strip 7 which is hinged on one hand to hinging point FD by means of a spring hinge 8 and on the other hand to the hinging point FK by means of a spring hinge 9. A sealing component 10 with a head 11 at the cap 4 snaps into the sealing position in the pour opening 3 and forms a liquid tight seal. 
     FIG. 3 shows that in the known closure means, the angle Alpha between the straight line G at which the cap is in the dead or reversing position and the straight line G&#39; passing through the hinging points DK and FD&#39; in the open position of the cap does not exceed the corresponding angle (Beta) for the cap in the closed position. Therefore the cap following its reversal toward the closed position only arrives at the position indicated in dashed lines. In that position the spring acting strip already has lost its spring force and is no longer capable of moving the cap completely into the sealing position. 
     The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4 differs from the known one in FIGS. 1 through 3 in that the hinging point FK is located on a projection 12 on the collar so that the straight line G forms an acute angle with the longitudinal axis of the collar, the apex of said angle being above the closure means. Therefore, the corresponding angle Alpha is substantially larger than the angle beta. With the invention shown in FIG. 4, when the cap is in the closed position, the spring strip 7a still retains its spring force. Thus, when the cap is moving toward the closing position, sufficient spring force remains to force the conical pin 11a into the pour aperture 3 and thus also to overcome any resistance to snap sealing. FIG. 4 shows the theoretical rest position for a relaxed spring acting strip, also in dashed lines. 
     The closure means of the invention differs from the known one primarily by the projection 12, by a reinforcement or thickened portion 13 in the middle region of the spring acting strip 7a, and by a conical pin 11a. These structural features permit the over center or dead position of the cap, (the position when spring clip 7 commences acting on the cap to close it) to be such that angle alpha is greater than angle beta. Furthermore, they insure that spring strip 7 imparts a downward force on the cap at its fully closed position.