TUBE HEAD EQUIPPED WITH A LID, ASSOCIATED WITH AN IMPROVED PERFORATING CAP WHICH ENSURES PROTECTION OF THE LID PRIOR TO FIRST USE THEREOF

Abstract

A tube head assembly includes a tube head that includes a lid, a cap that includes a punch and a spacing ring. The ring is dimensioned in such a way as to keep the punch spaced from the lid when the cap is screwed onto the neck. Further, the ring and the cap include lugs and recesses co-operating in such a way as to limit their rotation relative to one another in the direction of screwing of the cap onto the neck.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) to French Patent Application Serial Number 1262804, filed Dec. 26, 2012, entitled “TUBE HEAD EQUIPPED WITH A LID, ASSOCIATED WITH AN IMPROVED PERFORATING CAP WHICH ENSURES PROTECTION OF THE LID PRIOR TO FIRST USE THEREOF”, the entire teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of flexible tubes.

2. Description of the Related Art

Tubes are known which are provided with a lid associated with a perforating cap that includes a punch adapted in order to perforate the lid when the cap is inserted in a first direction into the neck of the tube, and in order to be screwed onto the neck when it is positioned in a second direction on the neck of the tube.

In fact the lid makes it possible to keep the product contained in the tube sealed during its storage prior to its first use, which represents a very significant part of the overall service life of the tube.

However, such solutions are not very practical and not greatly appreciated by users. They also lead to having a tube with a punch which projects from its cap during its use and its storage, and a pushing force is required in order to pierce the lid with the aid of the punch of the cap.

In order to remedy these drawbacks, solutions have been proposed in which the punch is disposed in the cap in such a way as to be able to perforate the lid when the cap is screwed onto the tube head. However, in order to ensure the preservation of the lid prior to the first use, a spacing ring is disposed between the cap and the shoulder of the head of the tube, so as to keep the punch spaced apart from the lid when the cap is screwed onto the neck.

However, such solutions are very restrictive industrially in that they necessitate the positioning of several parts on the tube head.

It has likewise been proposed to produce the cap and the ring integrally formed in one piece, these two elements thus being linked by material bridges adapted to be broken by screwing or unscrewing of the cap. However, the positioning of the cap on the tube head by machine then requires extreme precision in order not to break the material bridges systematically during capping, making this solution impracticable.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks propose an assembly that includes a tube head that includes a lid and a cap provided with a punch adapted in order to ensure the preservation of the lid prior to the first use, whilst being exploitable on an industrial scale for the operations of manufacture and positioning of the cap on the tube head.

To this end, the invention proposes an assembly that includes

• • a tube head that includes a neck defining a longitudinal axis, a shoulder and a solid insert forming a lid closing the neck,
  • a cap that includes a punch adapted in order to cut the lid, the cap being adapted to be screwed onto the neck, and configured in such a way that when the cap is screwed onto the neck the punch is inserted into the neck,
  • a removable spacing ring disposed bearing against the shoulder around the neck,

The ring and the cap can be formed integrally in one piece and joined by material bridges. The ring further can have an internal diameter greater than the external diameter of the cap, so as to enable the cap to slide through the ring after breakage of the material bridges. Also, the ring can be dimensioned in such a way as to keep the punch spaced apart from the lid when the cap is screwed onto the neck. Finally, the ring and the cap include lugs and recesses co-operating in such a way as to limit their rotation relative to one another in the direction of screwing of the cap on the neck in order to prevent the breakage of the material bridges between the ring and the cap during the screwing of the cap on the neck.

According to a particular embodiment, the shoulder includes projecting reliefs adapted to co-operate with non-return means arranged on an internal wall of the spacing ring in order to block rotation of the ring around the neck in the direction of unscrewing of the cap from the neck, such that the unscrewing of the cap in relation to the neck results in a breakage of the material bridges in order to detach the spacing ring from the cap.

According to a particular embodiment, the punch is adapted in order after the withdrawal of the spacing ring from the assembly, when the cap is screwed in abutment against the shoulder, to achieve partial cutting of the lid in order to open the neck, the lid then being attached to the uncut part of the insert by a material bridge.

According to a particular embodiment, the spacing ring includes a plurality of ribs adapted to center the spacing ring around the neck.

According to a particular embodiment, the spacing ring has the shape of a portion of a circle of which a free end forms a tab which can be gripped by a user.

According to a particular embodiment, the punch has a free end bevelled along a plane inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the neck when the cap is screwed onto the neck. The bevelled free end then typically has a semi-circular cross-section.

Thus the invention ensures retention of the material bridges between the ring and the cap during screwing onto the tube head by an industrial capper, which ensures their relative positioning and therefore enables the ring to act as a stop in order to protect the lid from any perforation or cutting prior to the first use of the assembly by a user.

Also, this retention of the material bridges between the ring and the cap performs a function as an opening witness; the presence of the material bridges between the ring and the cap during the first use ensures that the cap has never been removed previously.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Other characteristics, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows, which is purely illustrative and non-limiting, and which should be read in relation to the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of an assembly according to one aspect of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a view of a cap and a spacing ring of an assembly according to one aspect of the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a view of a tube head of an assembly according to one aspect of the invention;

FIG. 4 shows a detailed view of means limiting the rotation of the cap relative to the spacing ring according to one aspect of the invention.

In the set of drawings, the elements in common are referenced by identical reference numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows an example of an assembly according to one aspect of the invention, that includes

• • a tube head 1,
  • a cap 2, and
  • a removable spacing ring 3.

The tube head 1 includes a neck 11 defining a longitudinal axis Z-Z, a shoulder 12 and a solid insert 13 forming a lid closing the neck 11.

More precisely, the insert 13 includes a peripheral section 16, typically in the shape of a truncated cone or a disc, and a central section 17 forming the lid, of which the diameter corresponds typically to the internal diameter of the neck 11.

The neck 11 includes a thread 14 on its external periphery, adapted to enable the cap 2 to be screwed onto the neck 11.

The cap 2 includes an internal tapping 21 adapted in order to co-operate with the thread 14 of the neck 11, and a punch 22 configured in such a way as to be inserted in the neck 11 of the tube head 1 when the cap 2 is screwed onto the neck 11. A longitudinal direction of the cap 2 is defined, corresponding to the longitudinal axis Z-Z of the neck 11 when the cap 2 is screwed onto the neck 11.

The spacing ring 3 and the cap 2 are integrally formed in one single piece, and thus are connected by material bridges 31 shown in FIG. 2.

The spacing ring 3 is configured so as to be able to be able to be disposed around the neck 11, bearing against the shoulder 12, and thus to maintain a spacing between the cap 2 and the shoulder 12 when the cap 2 is screwed onto the neck 11 and the material bridges 31 joining the spacing ring 3 and the cap 2 have not been broken.

More precisely, the spacing ring 3 is configured so as to keep the punch 22 spaced apart from the insert 13 when the cap 2 is screwed onto the neck 11 and so that the material bridges 31 linking the spacing ring 3 and the cap 2 are not broken, thus preventing the punch from coming into contact with the insert 13 and therefore preventing it from piercing or cutting the lid formed in the neck 11.

FIG. 1 shows this configuration in which the spacing ring 3 is joined to the cap 2 by the material bridges 31 and is disposed around the neck 11, bearing against the shoulder 12 whilst the cap 2 is screwed onto the neck 11. The punch 22 then extends in the neck 11, at a distance not equal to zero from the insert 13, thus protecting the lid from any cutting or perforation.

In this way, the assembly formed by the cap 2 and the spacing ring 3 can be screwed onto the neck 11, until the spacing ring 3 butts against the shoulder 12, the insert 13 being protected from any punching or cutting as detailed previously.

Moreover, the ring 3 and the cap 2 are produced in such a way that the ring 3 has an internal diameter greater than the external diameter of the cap 2, in such a way as to allow sliding of the cap 2 through the ring 3 after breakage of the material bridges 31.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the punch 22 has a round cylindrical cross-section, of which a free end 23 is bevelled, in such a way that when the cap 2 is screwed onto the neck 11 of the tube head 1, the free end 23 of the punch 22 is inserted into the neck 11, and that it is bevelled with respect to a plane normal to the axis Z-Z of the neck 11, the lid formed by the insert 13 being typically disposed in such a plane normal to the axis Z-Z of the neck 11.

Consequently the free end 23 of the punch 22 has circular cross-section inscribed in a plane inclined relative to the axis Z-Z of the neck 11, which coincides with the longitudinal axis of the cap 2.

In the embodiment shown, a chamfer is also produced at the internal edge of the free end 23 of the punch 22, thus making it possible to reduce the thickness thereof in order to give the free end 23 a cutting function, which facilitates the cutting of the lid by the punch 22.

According to another embodiment, the punch 22 of the cap 2 has a free end 23 similar to that shown in FIG. 1, but extending solely over a bevelled semicircle as described previously, the other part of the free end 23 being recessed in such a way as to be set back from the bevelled semicircle.

Such a shape favours the cutting of the lid by the punch, whilst the preceding embodiment provides cutting of the punch by compression.

The shoulder 12 of the tube head 1 includes optional reliefs 15 projecting radially from the junction between the neck 11 and the shoulder 12.

The spacing ring 3 is equipped with means such as internal ribs 32 adapted to co-operate with the reliefs 15 in order to enable the ring to rotate around the neck 12 along the axis Z-Z only in a single direction corresponding to the direction of screwing of the cap 2 on the neck 11, the reliefs 15 co-operating with the ribs 32 in order to prevent the rotation of the spacing ring 3 around the neck 12 in the direction of unscrewing of the cap 2 from the neck 11 of the tube head 1.

FIG. 3 shows an example of an embodiment that includes reliefs 15, having a generally helical shape around the axis Z-Z.

Multiple embodiments are possible; the reliefs 15 may for example form arcs of circles extending from the centre of the neck 11 in order to form a generally spiral shape, or also a general shape of a toothed wheel.

During the first use, the user unscrews the cap 2 from the neck 11. The reliefs 15 and internal ribs 32 then co-operate in order to block the rotation of the spacing ring 3.

The spacing ring 3 therefore remains immobile whilst the cap 2 is unscrewed, which causes a breakage of the material bridges 31 and the detachment of the ring 3 relative to the cap 2.

Once the cap 2 is unscrewed and removed from the neck 11, the user removes the spacing ring 3 by making it slide along the neck 11, then screws the cap 2 onto the neck 11 again, until the cap 2 is butted against the neck 11 or against the shoulder 12, which results in cutting or perforation of the lid formed by the central section 17 of the insert 13 by the punch 22 of the cap 2 of which the free end 23 passes through the central section 17 of the insert 13.

The cutting of the lid is advantageously partial, in such a way that the portion or the portions of the lid which has or have been cut remain joined to the rest of the insert 13, thus preventing any mixing of the material forming the insert 13 with a product contained in the associated tube, and a possible dispensing of this material to the user.

By way of example, considering that complete cutting is cutting at 360° of the lid, that is to say circular cutting performed by rotation of the cap 2, a cut of between 250° and 330° is advantageously made, thus forming a sufficient link in order to ensure the cohesion between the central section 17 which has been cut, and the peripheral section 16.

On an industrial scale, the capping, that is to say the step during which the cap 2 is screwed onto the neck 11, is typically performed by means of a capper. However, it is very delicate to configure such a machine in order for it to screw the cap 2 onto the neck 11 as far as the precise point where the spacing ring 3 butts against the shoulder 11 whilst protecting the material bridges 31. Indeed, if the rotation of the cap 2 in order to screw it onto the neck 11 is slightly too great, the material bridges 31 break, and the cap 2 is detached from the spacing ring 3.

In order to avoid such a risk of breakage of the material bridges 31 during capping, the spacing ring 3 and the cap 2 comprise lugs 34 and recesses 35 co-operating in such a way as to limit their rotation relative to one another in the direction of screwing of the cap 2 on the neck 11 in order to prevent the breakage of the material bridges between the ring 3 and the cap 2 during the screwing of the cap 2 on the neck 11.

FIG. 4 shows a partial view of an embodiment wherein the lugs 34 are produced on the internal surface of the spacing ring 3 in the form of internal ribs whilst the recesses 35 are arranged on the external periphery of the cap 2. The view shown in FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the plane A-A shown in FIG. 1.

The lugs 34 and recesses 35 are arranged in such a way that they only limit the relative rotation between the cap 2 and the spacing ring 3 in the direction corresponding to the screwing of the cap 2 onto the neck 11—conventionally the clockwise direction and represented by an arrow in FIG. 4, wherein the relative rotation between the cap 2 and the spacing ring 3 in the direction corresponding to the unscrewing of the cap 2 from the neck 11—conventionally the anticlockwise direction—is possible and enables the user to break the material bridges 31 in order to separate the cap 2 and the spacing ring 3.

The lugs 34 typically extend in a plane perpendicular to the axis Z-Z of the neck 11.

As can be seen in FIG. 4, because the lugs 34 and recesses 35 are separate, a limited relative rotation between the cap 2 and the spacing ring 3 is possible due to a spacing 36 between the lugs 34 and the recesses 35.

The spacing 36 between the lugs 34 and the recesses 35 is dimensioned according to the mechanical properties of the material from which the cap 2 and the spacing ring 3 are formed and in particular according to its resilient and plastic deformation properties, in such a way that the relative rotation which it enables between the cap 2 and the ring 3 results in a deformation of the material bridges 31 less than its resistance to breakage. According to a particular embodiment, the spacing 36 is equal to 0.5 mm, therefore corresponding to the distance between the lugs 34 and the recesses 35 in the absence of deformation of the cap 2 and of the ring 3.

Thus the present invention allows to ensure the preservation of the material bridges 31 joining the cap 2 and the spacing ring 3 during the capping, which thus allows to ensure the preservation of the lid prior to the first use due to the spacing function performed by the ring which allows to maintain a spacing between the punch 22 of the cap 2 and the lid of the tube head 1.

In addition, the invention allows to ensure a function as opening witness. Indeed, during the first use, the user unscrews the cap 2 from the neck 11; the reliefs 15 and internal ribs 32 then co-operate in order to block the rotation of the spacing ring 3.

The spacing ring 3 then remains immobile whilst the cap 2 is unscrewed, which causes a breakage of the material bridges 31 and the detachment of the ring 3 relative to the cap 2, and thus allows easily to identify a tube which has already been used.

Claims

1. A tube head assembly comprising

a tube head comprising a neck defining a longitudinal axis (Z-Z), a shoulder and a solid insert forming a lid closing said neck,

a cap comprising a punch adapted in order to cut the lid, said cap being adapted to be screwed onto said neck, and configured in such a way that when said cap is screwed onto the neck the punch is inserted into the neck, and

a removable spacing ring disposed bearing against the shoulder around the neck,

the ring and the cap being formed integrally in one piece and joined by material bridges, said ring having an internal diameter greater than the external diameter of said cap, so as to enable the cap to slide through the ring after breakage of said material bridges, said ring being dimensioned in such a way as to keep the punch spaced apart from the lid when the cap is screwed onto the neck;

characterised in that the ring and the cap comprise lugs and recesses co-operating in such a way as to limit their rotation relative to one another in the direction of screwing of the cap on the neck in order to prevent the breakage of said material bridges between the ring and the cap during the screwing of the cap onto the neck.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said shoulder comprises projecting reliefs adapted to co-operate with non-return means arranged on an internal wall of the spacing ring in order to block rotation of the ring around the neck in the direction of unscrewing of the cap from the neck, such that the unscrewing of the cap in relation to the neck results in a breakage of the material bridges in order to detach the spacing ring from the cap.

3. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said punch is adapted in order after the withdrawal of the spacing ring from the assembly, when said cap is screwed in abutment against the shoulder, to achieve partial cutting of said lid in order to open said neck, the lid then being attached to the uncut part of the insert by a material bridge.

4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said spacing ring comprises a plurality of ribs adapted to centre the spacing ring around the neck.

5. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said spacing ring has the shape of a portion of a circle of which a free end forms a tab which can be gripped by a user.

6. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said lugs and the recesses are configured in such a way as to define a spacing in the absence of a screwing force, said spacing being equal to 0.5 millimetres.

7. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said punch has a free end bevelled along a plane inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis (Z-Z) of the neck when the cap is screwed onto said neck.

8. The assembly according to claim 7, wherein said bevelled free end has a semi-circular cross-section.