Closing device for container

• US 5,735,418 A
• Filed: 06/01/1995
• Issued: 04/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boehringer Mannheim GmbH (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Boehringer Mannheim GmbH (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Sattler, Stephan, Wohland, Albert, Erb, Hermann
• Primary Examiner(s): CRONIN, STEPHEN K
• Application Number:
  US08/457,436
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 215/235, 215/237, 215/244, 220/254, 220/335, 220/337, 220/339
• US Class Current: 215/237
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/0819 by cam action, e.g. interacting protrusions

Abstract

A closing device for containers is made of plastic with a tiltable lid linked to a lid support to be attached to the lid or to the container where it can be moved via a hinged connection from a closed position to an open position. The closing device also has a spring on one side of the lid, and a lid support or the container on the other side. The spring is arranged with respect to the tilting axis of the lid which is defined by the hinged connection such that the lid is displaced from the closed position to the open position after having passed a dead center position, due to the pre-stress of the spring. The lid and the lid support or container each have at least one integrally linked abutment. The abutments come into contact with each other in the open position of the lid as a result of being urged into the contact position by the spring.

Claims

1. A closing device for containers, said closing device comprising:

a lid having a first stopping abutment protruding therefrom;

a lid support hingably connected to said lid, said lid support including a second stopping abutment thereupon, said second stopping abutment on said lid support being disposed to engage said first stopping abutment on said lid when said lid is in an opened position;

spring means disposed between said lid and said lid support, said spring means being configured to urge said lid toward a closed position with respect to said lid support when an angle between the lid and the lid support is smaller than an angle at which the spring means is at a dead center position, said spring means urging said first stopping abutment on said lid into contact with said second stopping abutment on said lid support in an opening direction of said lid, defining an open position, when the angle between the lid and the lid support is larger than the angle at which the spring means is at the dead center position,

wherein said first and second stopping abutments have respective first and second contact surfaces, and wherein a force from the spring means acting upon the lid to swing the lid beyond the dead center position, to said open position, generates a reactive force in a direction which is perpendicular to planes of the contact surfaces.

2. A closing device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second stopping abutments is sufficiently flexible so as to be elastically displaced by another of the first and second stopping abutments during a pivoting motion of said lid relative to said lid support when said lid is closed for a first time, said at least one stopping abutment elastically returning to an original position thereof.

3. A closing device as recited in claim 1, wherein said lid and said lid support are hingably connected by at least one integrally formed pliable hinge.

4. A closing device as recited in claim 1, wherein said first stopping abutment on said lid includes at least one rib, said rib reinforcing said first stopping abutment, and facing away from a surface of said first stopping abutment which engages said second stopping abutment.

5. A closing device as recited in claim 1, wherein said second stopping abutment on said lid support comprises two spatially separated rod-like sections protruding upwardly from said lid support, with distal ends of said two rod-like portions being connected via a cross bar, with a lower portion of the cross bar being configured to engage said first stopping abutment.

6. A closing device as recited in claim 1, wherein said spring means and said first and second stopping abutments are configured such that when a force is applied to the lid when being closed for a first time, the first stopping abutment on the lid and the second stopping abutment on the lid support are displaced relative to each other.

7. A closing device as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and second stopping abutments are configured to engage each other and support said lid at a predetermined angle between 80°

and 100°

, with respect to a fully closed position.

8. A closing device as recited in claim 1, wherein said closing device comprises a plastic material.

9. A closing device as recited in claim 8, wherein said plastic material comprises one material of the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyoximethylene, polyethyleneterephthalate, polybutylenterephthalate, and styrene butadien copolymers.

10. A closing device as recited in claim 9, wherein said closing device comprises an injection molded material.

11. A closing device as recited in claim 1, wherein said lid includes an upper side and a lower side thereof, said lower side of the lid facing the lid support, and including a projection which is configured to pressingly engage an orifice in the lid support, thereby sealing said orifice.

12. A closing device as recited in claim 11, wherein said projection in said lid comprises an annular wall having a curved outer periphery, said curved outer periphery having a diameter which exceeds a diameter of the orifice in the lid support.

13. A closing device as recited in claim 12, wherein said annular wall flares outwardly from a lower surface of said lid, such that the diameter of the curved outer periphery is wider than a diameter of said annular wall at a position immediately adjacent said lid.

14. A closing device as recited in claim 12, wherein an inner diameter of the annular wall is at least 8 mm.

15. A closing device as recited in claim 1, wherein said spring means is a pliable spring which is integrally formed with at least one of the lid and the lid support.

16. A closing device as recited in claim 15, wherein said spring means comprises two laterally spaced spring elements, said spring elements being disposed on a vertical plane which is perpendicular to a tilting axis of the lid, said two spring elements being disposed on opposite sides of said closing device.

17. A closing device according to claim 15, wherein said lid support is integrally provided on a container.

18. A closing device for containers, said closing device comprising:

a lid having a first stopping abutment protruding therefrom;

a lid support hingably connected to said lid, said lid support including a second stopping abutment thereupon, said second stopping abutment on said lid support being disposed to engage said first stopping abutment on said lid when said lid is in an opened position;

spring means disposed between said lid and said lid support, said spring means being configured to urge said lid toward a closed position with respect to said lid support when an angle between the lid and the lid support is smaller than an angle at which the spring means is at a dead center position, said spring means urging said first stopping abutment on said lid into contact with said second stopping abutment on said lid support in an opening direction of said lid when the angle between the lid and the lid support is larger than the angle at which the spring means is at the dead center position, wherein said spring means is a pliable spring which comprises an arcuate leaf spring having a first end integrally molded to the lid, and a second end integrally molded to the lid support.

19. A closing device for containers, said closing device comprising:

a lid having a first stopping abutment protruding therefrom;

a lid support hingably connected to said lid, said lid support including a second stopping abutment thereupon, said second stopping abutment on said lid support being disposed to engage said first stopping abutment on said lid when said lid is in an opened position;

spring means disposed between said lid and said lid support, said spring means being configured to urge said lid toward a closed position with respect to said lid support when an angle between the lid and the lid support is smaller than an angle at which the spring means is at a dead center position, said spring means urging said first stopping abutment on said lid into contact with said second stopping abutment on said lid support in an opening direction of said lid when the angle between the lid and the lid support is larger than the angle at which the spring means is at the dead center position, wherein at least one of said first and second stopping abutments comprises a hook having a contact surface at one side thereof, said contact surface for engaging another of the first and second stopping abutments.

20. A closing device as recited in claim 19, wherein said contact surface is configured to be perpendicular to a bending plane of the another of the first and second stopping abutments.

21. A closing device for containers, said closing device comprising:

a lid having a first stopping abutment protruding therefrom;

a lid support hingably connected to said lid, said lid support including a second stopping abutment thereupon, said second stopping abutment on said lid support being disposed to engage said first stopping abutment on said lid when said lid is in an opened position;

spring means disposed between said lid and said lid support, said spring means being configured to urge said lid toward a closed position with respect to said lid support when an angle between the lid and the lid support is smaller than an angle at which the spring means is at a dead center position, said spring means urging said first stopping abutment on said lid into contact with said second stopping abutment on said lid support in an opening direction of said lid when the angle between the lid and the lid support is larger than the angle at which the spring means is at the dead center position,

wherein said spring means is a pliable spring which is integrally formed with at least one of the lid and the lid support, and wherein said spring means comprises two planar portions being integrally coupled to each other along a common edge.

22. A closing device for containers, said closing device, comprising:

cover means for closing a container, said cover means having first stopping means protruding therefrom;

cover support means hingably connected to said cover means, said cover support means including a second stopping means thereupon, said second stopping means on said cover support means being configured to engage said first stopping means when said cover means is in an opened position;

biasing means disposed between said cover means and said cover support means, said biasing means being configured to urge said cover means toward a closed position with respect to said cover support means, when an angle between the cover means and the cover support means is smaller than an angle at which the biasing means is at a dead center position, said biasing means urging said first stopping means on said cover means into contact with said second stopping means on said cover support means, in an opening direction of said cover means, defining an open position when the angle between the cover means and the cover support means is larger than the angle at which the biasing means is at the dead center position,

wherein said first and second stopping abutments have respective first and second contact surfaces, and wherein a force, from the biasing means acting upon the lid to swing the lid beyond the dead center position, to said open position generates a reactive force in a direction which is perpendicular to planes of the contact surfaces.