Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SAFETY LID FOR BOTTLES
DESCRIPTION
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is fitted within the technical field of closures with a
discharge
device that have articulated or hinged closures, as well as that belonging to
installations
of closures with outer protective caps similar to lids or with two or more
conjugated
closures, combined with auxiliary devices for purposes other than closing, and
it refers
in particular to a safety lid for bottles equipped with elements that visually
show a first
opening of the cap.
The lid comprises a pouring element assembled with a hinged closure cap, the
closure
cap being able to be placed in an open position and a closed position. The lid
also
incorporates, as already indicated, a first opening indicator system
consisting of
elements indicating that the lid has been opened at least once, which are made
up of
bridges or frangible flanges molded into the front face of the cap,
identifiable by the user
quickly and without visual effort.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is common to use lids to close bottles. One type of these lids is formed by
a pouring
element assembled with a hinged closure cap that is coupled to the neck of the
bottle
and a closure cap that serves to close the bottle. This pouring element and
the closure
cap are hinged to each other by means of a hinge, so that the user can open
and close
the bottle with one hand by hinging the cap backwards from the pouring element
to open
the bottle and articulating the cap forward to close the bottle again. This
type of lids
serves so that the user can easily open and close the bottle several times
without the
possibility of the lid being lost, since the pouring element remains
permanently attached
to the neck of the bottle. These lids also work in the event that it is not
attached to the
neck.
It is usual that, when using this type of lids, the user drinks directly from
the bottle, but
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the closure cap hinged to the pouring element can be uncomfortable to do so.
This is
because the lid does not comprise any means to retain the closure cap in its
open
position.
Various lids of this type are known in the current state of the art. For
example, the
international PCT application with publication number W02019110853, owned by
this
same applicant, refers to a cap for bottles, which comprises a pouring element
attached
to a hinged closure cap, allowing the closure cap to be placed in an open
position and
in a closed position, characterized in that in said closing the cap comprises
a protrusion
in its part closest to the pouring element and which comes into contact with
the pouring
element in the open position of the closure cap.
In the same sense, document US2010065589 describes a closure body having a
closure
platform with a dispensing orifice. A lower peripheral skirt is dependent on
the closure
platform and is configured to be mounted on a container. A closure cap has a
top wall
and a wall flange that depends on the top wall. A hinge structure joins the
wall flange to
the lower peripheral skirt. A closure recess is defined within the lower
peripheral skirt. A
protrusion of the latch is located on the flange of the cap wall and is
respectively
positioned over the recess of the latch when the closure cap is in a closed
position. The
latch protrusion and latch recess define mating formations that fit together
and engage
to secure the cap to the closure body when the closure cap is in an open
position.
On the other hand, different lids with opening indicators formed by a base
adapted to be
coupled to the neck of a container and a cap attached to said base by means of
a hinge
and opening indicators are also known in the current state of the art. These
opening
indicators are detachable joints that are attached to the base and the cap and
are
provided with a tear zone that breaks up, falls off or changes position after
the first
opening of the cap. With these indicators the aim is to obtain a visible and
unequivocal
proof that the container has not been opened prior to its purchase by the
consumer.
As an example of the state of the art, reference document ES2084159 can be
mentioned, in which a tamper-evident closure for a container is defined,
comprising an
annular closure ring that has a closure cap and an annular seal band
releasably attached
to the cap by frangible means. Furthermore, it comprises a plurality of
flexible projections
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on the band, extending circumferentially inward, and interference means
associated
therewith that cooperate with them to break up the frangible means during
removal of
the closure from the container.
In this case, it is observed that the closure has, as in most closures of this
type of the
state of the art, frangible means formed by a plurality of joining flanges
between the cap
and the annular band, which are capable of being broken up upon a first
container
opening.
However, this type of lids, as is the case with the majority existing in the
state of the art,
has certain drawbacks, due to the fact that these joining flanges must have a
small
section in order to be able to yield easily and quickly upon the opening of
the container,
which generates a complicated or impossible detection thereof to perform a
visual check
of the inviolability of the closure. Furthermore, precisely due to this
reduced section of
the flanges, the existence of a plurality of said flanges is necessary so that
at the same
time they are capable of ensuring resistance of the lid closure against
manipulations and
pressures, both internal and external.
Document US2005173368 concerns a closure comprising a base portion and a cap
forming portion including a top articulated to a ring through a hinge. The
strap enables
the cap forming portion to be molded in closing position of the top,
tamperproof means
being provided between the ring and the top. When the cover is closed, the
sensitive
zones of the cap are either located in a sealed closed space, or capable of
being in
contact with a liquid (in solution or spray) and capable of being treated so
as to eliminate
said liquid, so as to sanitize the closure. Furthermore, the tamperproof means
are
deformed and ruptured when the top is first opened such that the resulting
free ends are
sufficiently spaced apart from each other, thus easily revealing to a user
whether it has
been tampered with.
Therefore, there is a need to have a bottle lid that allows the closure cap to
be placed in
its open position in a stable manner and with the widest possible opening
angle and that
also includes handling indicators that offer a clear view of whether they have
been or not
tampered with, while ensuring a closing resistance prior to the first opening.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention consists of a safety lid for bottles comprising a
pouring
element assembled with an articulated closure cap, the closure cap being able
to be
placed in an open position and a closed position. Said closure cap comprises a
protrusion in its part closest to the pouring element, which protrusion
contacts the
pouring element in the open position of the closure cap.
The presence of this protrusion allows a cap opening of even more than 1800.
In addition,
the protrusion also provides information for the user that it has been placed
in its open
or closed position, as it causes an acoustic signal, such as a click, when the
cap is placed
in either of these positions. Furthermore, the protrusion prevents the closure
cap from
unintentionally returning to its closed position, keeping the closure cap
stably in its open
position.
The lid also incorporates a first opening indicator system consisting of
elements
indicating that the lid has been previously opened, located at the front to be
more easily
visible by the user and thus to be able to identify more quickly if the lid
has been
previously manipulated. In the preferred embodiment of the lid, the indicator
element is
formed by a breakable and deformable flange.
In the usual state of the art these indicator elements are not usually located
in the front
part of the cap, since it is the sector to which the user approaches his mouth
to drink the
liquid contained in the bottle, and therefore any tab, bridge or similar
element could
interfere with the spill or rub against the user's anatomy, with consequent
discomfort.
There is even the possibility that they could become detached and enter the
user's
mouth or get lost in the natural environment. Thus, the opening indicators are
generally
located on lateral areas, which, on the other hand, makes it difficult to see
them.
The safety lid object of the invention makes it possible to locate the visible
opening
indicator on the front, thanks in part to the specific geometry of the pouring
element.
Likewise, said opening indicator comprises, as already mentioned, a flange
molded into
the front face of the lid and which in its sealed arrangement and prior to the
first opening
of the lid is in a horizontal position.
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After opening the closure cap, which is performed in a single movement by the
user and
using a single hand, the flange breaks and deforms, which remains embedded in
the
spout without protruding, avoiding risks mentioned above. The cross section
and profile
of the flange are very precise in terms of cross section, angle and length, so
that they
5 deform when opened. Likewise, the resistance that the user shall
overcome for the first
opening of the lid can still be achieved with the single movement indicated
since in this
flange the break is produced by a combination of torsion and traction
(stretching) forces,
while standard bridges break only by stretching.
When the cap is closed again on the spout after the first opening, the
deformed flange
has a different arrangement than it had in the sealed arrangement, generating
a hollow
surface that allows a quick and easy view that an opening has occurred,
contrary to what
happens with elements such as vertical frangible bridges or even if there is a
deformation, in which the two sections overlap without creating an opening,
which makes
visibility almost impossible as the stretch is produced only vertically.
The safety lid for bottles thus described supposes a solution that allows
solving the
aforementioned issues in a simple and economical way, giving rise to a lid
that allows
an easy and clear visualization of a previous opening without involving a
discomfort for
the user from the point of view of comfort and effort of opening and closing.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better
understanding of the features of the invention, according to a preferred
example of
practical embodiment thereof, a set of drawings is attached as an integral
part of said
description, wherein, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the
following has been
represented:
Figure 1.- Shows a perspective view of the lid in the closed position and
prior to its first
opening.
Figure 2.- Shows a front top perspective view of the lid in a completely open
position.
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Figure 3.- Shows a front view of the lid of figure 2
Figure 4.- Shows a rear view of the lid of figure 2.
Figure 5.- Shows a left side view of the lid of figure 2.
Figure 6.- Shows a rear bottom perspective view of the lid of figure 2.
Figure 7.- Shows a perspective view of the lid in the closed position after a
first opening
thereof.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
A detailed explanation of a preferred embodiment of the object of the present
invention
is provided below, with the aid of the aforementioned figures.
The safety lid for bottles that is described is made up of a pouring element
(1) that can
be coupled to the neck of a bottle, and a closure cap (2) attached to the
pouring element
(1) through a rear hinge (3).
In this way, the pouring element (1) is coupled to the neck of the bottle by
means of a
thread, draw cord or similar element that allows it not to separate from the
bottle during
normal use. By virtue of the hinge (3), the closure cap (2) can be arranged in
a closed
position as shown in Figures 1 and 7 or in an open position as represented in
Figures 2-
6. Said hinge (3) is formed, according to the embodiment shown, by two
parallel arms
(4) that extend between the pouring element (1) and the closure cap (2) and
delimit a
space between them.
The lid for bottles also comprises a protrusion (5) located in its part
closest to the pouring
element (1), which contacts the pouring element (1) in the open position of
the closure
cap (2). This protrusion (5), which is housed in the space delimited between
the arms
(4) of the hinge (3), is intended to provide the user with an indication that
the closure cap
(2) has been placed in its open or closed position, since it generates an
acoustic
information signal by means of a click. For this, the protrusion (5) is made
of a flexible
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plastic material. Furthermore, the protrusion (5), which is preferably
semicircular in
shape, acts as a stop for retention of the closure cap (2) in its open
position, preventing
its collapse and accidental closing.
The pouring element (1) comprises a central mouthpiece (6) for pouring the
liquid
housed in the bottle, as well as to allow the user to drink directly from the
bottle through
said mouthpiece (6). The pouring element (1) further comprises two lateral
flanges (7)
that extend from the hinge (3) towards an opposite front face of the cap, in
which a free
space is delimited between both flanges (7). These flanges (7) are intended to
facilitate
manual manipulation of the cap, as will be explained later (7), as well as to
act as a
support area for the lips in case the user drinks through the mouthpiece (6).
For its part, the closure cap (2) comprises a cantilevered cover (8) that
allows a manual
opening of the cap, below which reinforcement ribs (9) are located. The
closure cap (2)
also comprises a rear cavity (10) next to the protrusion (5), to prevent the
closure cap
(2) from abutting the pouring element (1) before reaching the open position.
The lid for bottles also includes a first opening indicator element located in
its front area
delimited between both flanges (7). As can be seen in the attached figures,
said indicator
consists of a flange, which when the lid is sealed (that is, it has not been
opened for the
first time) is kept in an essentially horizontal position. The flange has a
first sector (12)
attached to the pouring element (1), a second sector (13) attached to the
closure cap
(2), and a breakable central sector (14) that allows the separation of the
flange into two
halves when the cap is first opened.
When the flange is separated by its breakable central sector (14), the first
sector (12)
remains attached to the pouring element (1) and slightly deforms, while the
second
sector (13) also remains attached to the closure cap (2) and is also slightly
deformed.
From the closed position of the lid shown in figure 1, when a user wishes to
open the lid
according to the present invention, he shall move the closure cap (2) from its
closed
position to its open position. To do this, he shall push up the cantilevered
cover (8), so
that the closure cap (2) rotates around the hinge (4) until the protrusion (5)
abuts the
pouring element (1). Upon abutting, the protrusion (5) flexes and provides an
acoustic
signal by clicking, to inform the user that it has reached the open position
shown in
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Figures 2 to 6. In this open position, preferably with an opening degree
greater than
1800, it shall remain stable due to the presence of the protrusion (5),
facilitating the
pouring of the liquid contained in the bottle or drink directly from the
bottle.
The thrust of the cantilevered cover (8) of the closure cap (2) exerts a
traction on the
flange of the first opening indicator element that causes the breakage of the
breakable
central sector (14), leaving the flange separated in the first sector (12),
which remains
attached to the pouring element (1), and the second sector (13), which remains
attached
to the closure cap (2).
As already mentioned, both sectors (12, 13) slightly deform when separated,
due to a
torque, which also causes them to deform in opposite directions, which also
positions
them so that they do not interfere at any time in the pouring of the liquid,
either to another
container or for direct consumption through the mouthpiece (6).
To close the cap, the user pushes the closure cap (2) upwards so that it
rotates around
the hinge (3) again, overcoming the resistance of the protrusion (5) against
the pouring
element (1) and causing the closure cap (2) to couple again on the pouring
element (1)
in its closed position, as seen in figure 7.
In this closed position, the prior deformation of both sectors of the flange
causes it to
have a different arrangement than the one it had in the initial sealed
arrangement, thus
generating a discontinuity (15) on the front face of the lid which is a clear
indication that
it has already been previously opened.
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