Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02570535 2006-12-14
TH/bs 040389W0
13. December 2006
Pouring element for cardboard/plastic composite
packagings and packaging provided with said pouring
element
The invention relates to a pouring element for
cardboard/plastic composite packagings, more particularly
beverage packagings, which comprises a base provided with
an opening with a pouring edge and a peripheral flange,
and an opening element that can be linearly displaced in
a guide, and to a cardboard/plastic composite packaging
for use with such a pouring element.
DE 44 43 556 A1 discloses a pouring element as specified
above, comprising an element arranged displaceably in the
base which, after first-time opening of a packaging
provided with such a pouring element, simultaneously
serves as opening element and as sealing part. This
pouring element is characterised by a small overall
height, but is in need of improvement in that a separate
opening aid is required for opening the pouring opening
for the first time, said opening aid representing a
separate disposable part after the opening operation.
This prior-art pouring element, therefore, is not
particularly user-friendly, since the opening consists of
two steps (pushing up and tearing open).
The object of the invention is therefore to configure and
refine the pouring element, specified initially and
described in detail above, in such a way that the opening
operation of a cardboard/plastic composite packaging
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provided with such a pouring element is improved without
having to forego the advantage of small overall height.
In addition, production costs are to be minimized, which
is achieved by single piece construction of the pouring
element.
This object is achieved in the case of a pouring element
with the features of the preamble in Claim l, due to the
fact that the pouring element is applied to the exterior
of the gable top of a packaging, which gable top is
provided with a weakened zone, that the opening element,
at its front end, has a foldable piercing and ripping
element, which penetrates the weakened zone of the
packaging when the package is opened under the effect of
restricted guidance elements, destroys the weakened zone
and is removed from the pouring edge together with the
opening element, so that a sufficiently large pouring
opening is produced and the opening element, at its rear
end, projects from the base.
In the case of cardboard/plastic composite packaging
provided with such a pouring element the object is
achieved by a weakened zone in the corner area of the
gable top, which is devoid of the support material and in
which the opening is merely coated with at least one
plastic layer.
The invention recognized that a flat-lying pouring
element can be opened with only one pulling movement,
wherein the opening element, arranged displaceably in the
base, is used to open a packaging provided with such a
pouring element for the first time. As a result of the
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design of the restricted guidance element it is ensured
that when the opening element is pulled out of the base,
the piercing and ripping element is folded downwards
about a given angle, for example 90°, and in this way
penetrates the packaging interior and at the same time
the coating of the pouring opening present in the
packaging material, consisting of plastic foil and
possibly aluminium foil, is reliably destroyed. For this
purpose, the piercing and ripping element, along its edge
penetrating the packaging interior, preferably has a
plurality of peripheral teeth.
The design of the piercing and ripping element in
conjunction with rigidly arranged lateral guiding
elements ensures "restricted control" of the piercing and
ripping element, wherein the linear movement of the
opening element, in conjunction with the geometry of the
lateral guiding elements cater for the pivot movement of
the piercing and ripping element when the packaging is
opened for the first time.
In accordance with a further teaching of the invention
the piercing and ripping element is joined to the opening
element with a film hinge. This embodiment is
particularly advantageous as regards its production from
a technical aspect.
A further embodiment of the invention provides that the
contact area of the base and/or the opening element have
detent elements, which keep the opening element fixed in
its opened position. In this way it is ensured that the
polyethylene foil or the composite made from polyehylene
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and aluminium foil compressed by the piercing and ripping
element, after the package has been opened, develops such
strong resetting forces that the size of the pouring
opening is reduced during the pouring operation.
According to a further embodiment of the invention the
base and the opening element are preferably constructed
in a single piece and are connected to one another by
means of a predetermined breaking point, which self-
destructs when the packaging is opened for the first
time. Production costs for this single piece construction
are particularly low, since only one injection-moulding
tool is required. A pouring element constructed in such a
way according to the invention is injection-moulded in
the outstretched position in accordance with a further
embodiment of the invention and the base, on its lower
surface, has a recess for receiving the opening element,
into which the opening element is pivoted about 180°
before application onto the packaging. For this purpose,
the opening element, outside the base, preferably is of
two-layer construction and in the assembled position has
a film hinge at its end. A predetermined breaking point,
between the part of the opening element projecting from
the base as a gripping latch and the base, is destroyed
when the pouring element according to the invention is
opened for the first time and therefore simultaneously
serves as a mark of originality.
A further teaching of the invention provides that the
base and the opening element can also be constructed in
two pieces. The two-piece construction permits simpler
design of the injection-moulding tools used, but does not
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require two injection-moulding tools and thus higher
production cost.
Finally it is provided that the base can have a lid for
re-closing the pouring opening. Preferably, the lid is
configured in such a way that, when it is re-closed also
in its pivoted position, it provides a reliable seal with
the base. For this purpose, the lid, on its lower
surface, preferably has a sealing element matching the
pouring opening, which may also consist of a flexible
material.
The invention is described in detail below on the basis
of a drawing, representing only one preferred exemplary
embodiment, wherein there is shown:
Fig. 1 a pouring element according to the invention,
partly opened, in perspective view,
Fig. 2 the pouring element according to the invention,
elongated (before final assembly), in
perspective view,
Fig. 3 the pouring element according to the invention,
closed, in plan view,
Fig. 4 the closed pouring element in cross section
along line IV-IV from Fig. 3,
Fig. 5 the pouring element according to the invention,
partly opened, in plan view,
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Fig. 6 the partly opened pouring element in cross
section along line VI-VI from Fig. 5, and
Fig. 7 the pouring element from Fig. l, however with a
lid moulded on the base.
Fig. 1 shows, in perspective view, a pouring element
according to the invention in partly opened position. A
base 1 has a peripheral flange 2 for later joining to a
not illustrated composite packaging. The base l, at its
front end, possesses a pouring edge 3 and encloses the
later pouring opening 0. The opening element 4, which at
its end has a pivotable piercing and ripping element 5,
adjoins the end of the base 1 turned away from the
pouring edge 3. The function of the piercing and ripping
element 5 is clearly recognizable from the further
figures and the associated description.
As already explained the pouring element according to the
invention is preferably produced in a single piece. Fig.
2 shows how such a pouring element appears after the
injection-moulding process, that is to say, before "final
assembly". At "final assembly" it is only necessary to
fold down the opening element 4 about 180° in the
direction of the arrow not designated in more detail, so
that it is received by the base 1 having a corresponding
recess A and only a gripping latch G still protrudes from
the base. In this position the pouring element according
to the invention is applied to the composite packaging
having a corresponding weakened zone in the vicinity of
the pouring opening.
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The "finished" pouring element is illustrated in Figs. 3
and 4 in closed position and in Figs. 5 and 6 in half
open position. A special embodiment of the piercing and
ripping element 5 and the base 1 caters for restricted
guidance of the piercing and ripping element 5 when the
gripping latch G is manipulated. For this purpose, the
piercing and ripping element 5, on its upper side,
firstly has lateral cams 6A and 6B and pressure pads 7A
and 7B, as particularly clearly recognizable from Figs. 3
and 5. The base in the vicinity of the pouring opening 0
has laterally arranged pins 8A and 8B and guide rails 9A
and 9B.
When the gripping latch G is pulled out, the cams 6A and
6B are pressed down by the pins 8A and 8B and cause the
piercing and ripping element 5 to pivot. So that the not
illustrated foil layer of the composite packaging is
reliably destroyed, the piercing and ripping element 5,
on its lower surface, has a plurality of peripherally
arranged teeth 10. After the teeth have penetrated the
foil layer after only short displacement of the opening
element 4, the piercing and ripping element 5 is pivoted
downwards about 90° under the effect of cooperation
between the pressure pads 7A and 7B and the guide~rails
9A and 9B of the base l, wherein the extracted foil
remains inside the teeth 10 of the piercing and ripping
element 5. In this position, curved about 90°, the
piercing and ripping element 5 is removed from the
pouring edge 3 of the base l, so as to open the pouring
opening 0. Furthermore, the gripping latch G of the
pouring element according to the invention possesses
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elevations 11, in order to improve the grip during the
extraction operation.
From Fig. 4 it is clearly recognizable that the opening
element 4 and the piercing and ripping element 5 are
connected to one another by means of a film hinge 12. In
this case, the contact areas 13A and 13B adjacent to the
film hinge 12 form an angle of 90°, so that the folded
piercing and ripping element 5 reliably lies against the
opening element 4. There is no illustration to show that
the two contact areas 13A and 13B can also have
restricted locking elements.
In order now to prevent possibly arising resetting forces
of the plastic foil extracted from the pouring area
leading to a closure movement of the opening element 4
and therefore to undesirable partial reduction of the
pouring opening O, the opening element 4 has a plurality
of detent elements 14, which cooperate with a rest edge
15 correspondingly arranged on the lower surface of the
base 1 and which keep the opening element 4 fixed in its
opened position, as evident from the enlargement in Fig.
4.
When the packaging is opened for the first-time, the
opening element 4 must be separated from the base 1, for
which purpose a predetermined breaking point 16 is
provided between the two component parts, which can
simultaneously serve as mark of originality, wherein it
is indicated to the consumer at a glance whether the
packaging has already been previously opened or not.
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From Figs. 4 and 6 it is clearly recognizable that the
opening element 4 is of two-layer construction in its
area projecting from the base l, wherein the layers are
connected to one another with a film hinge 17. The two-
layers may be connected to one another, by bonding or
welding for example. So that also when the packaging is
re-closed a reliable seal in the rear area of the base
element 1 is achieved, the opening element, on its lower
surface, has a frame 18, as especially clearly
recognizable from Figs. 2 and 6.
There is no illustration to show that the weakened zone
of a paper/plastic composite packaging, matched to the
pouring element according to the invention, is
constructed as a slit, devoid of the support material in
the vicinity of this slit, and the opening in the support
material is merely coated with at least one plastic
layer. Additionally, the opening can also be sealed by a
barrier layer, for example made from aluminium foil.
The piercing and ripping element 5 reliably destroys
this/these layers when the packaging is opened for the
first time and exposes the pouring opening 0 required for
pouring by removal over nearly the entire length of the
base 1. In this way, a particularly large exposed surface
develops, so that the pouring element according to the
invention is also suitable for use with products having
chunky ingredients, such as pea soup for example.
TH/bs 090389W0
