Single-Use Cap

Abstract

The invention relates to a cap ( 1 ) for mounting on a recipient ( 2 ), said cap comprising a base ( 3 ), a cover ( 6 ) provided with closing means ( 7 ), means for connecting the cover to the base in an articulated manner in the form of a hinge ( 10 ), means for locking ( 8 ) the cover to the base ( 3 ), and means for unlocking ( 9 ) the same. According to the invention, the cover ( 6 ) is arranged in such a way as to resist all relative displacement between the cover and the base and to store the mechanical energy by plastic deformation of the cover and/or the base, and locking means ( 9 ) are arranged in the form of a lever enabling the stored mechanical energy to be released, projecting the cover ( 6 ) towards the open position thereof.

1 . A cap intended to be mounted on a container the internal volume of which may contain contents or filling, for example liquid contents, said cap comprising: 
 a base comprising means for mounting on the container, particularly its neck,    lid,    means of articulating the lid with respect to the base, between an open position and a folded-down position, defining an axis of rotation about which the lid can rotate, at least in the direction for opening the cap,    locking means for locking the lid with respect to the base in its folded-down position,    unlocking means for unlocking the lid with respect to the base, which are antagonist to said locking means, arranged to be actuated manually, in a travel toward a final position in which the locking means are released,    wherein, in combination, firstly, the articulation means are arranged to allow the lid to be propelled in rotation freely beyond their resistance in rotation toward an open position, secondly, the lid and/or the base are arranged to, in their locked position, at first, when actuating the unlocking means, elastically resist any relative rotational movement between the lid and the base, and correspondingly store mechanical energy through elastic or plastic deformation of said cap, the mechanical energy stored in practice being enough to propel the lid Fin rotation toward an open position, once the unlocking means arrived in their final position, and, thirdly, the unlocking means (are arranged in the form of a detent, having the function, according to the travel toward the final position in which the locking means are released, to elastically or plastically deform the cap, without release of the locking means, and store enough mechanical energy to propel the lid in rotation toward its open position.    
   
   
       2 . The cap as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the articulation means comprise no means of elastically returning the lid in rotation toward the open position, for example no element made of viscoelastic material which is stressed in rotation when the lid is in the folded-down position.  
   
   
       3 . The cap as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the articulation means are not arranged, for example in terms of the material of which they are made and/or in terms of their shape, to generate an elastic return torque rotating the lid toward the open position, for example by being stressed in terms of rotation when the lid is in the folded-down position.  
   
   
       4 . The cap as claimed in  claim 1  and which is arranged by construction to localize the elastic deformation to at least one of the following elements, namely the base, the lid, the locking means and the articulation means 4 t 3 .  
   
   
       5 . The cap as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the stored mechanical energy is greater, through the construction of the cap, than the energy required to release the locking of the lid with respect to the base plus the energy required to overcome the resistance to rotation of the articulation means.  
   
   
       6 . The cap as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the stored mechanical energy is sufficient, through the construction of the cap, to propel the lid in rotation into a folded-down position with respect to the axis of rotation of the articulation means.  
   
   
       7 . The cap as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the unlocking means comprise: 
 at least one ramp belonging to the lid or to the base,    a flap (belonging to the base or to the lid, able to move continuously against the ramp toward a final position in which the locking means are released, and comprising a free end intended to come into contact with the ramp,    the ramp being arranged in relation with the free end of the moving flap in such a way as to determine the travel of the flap toward its final position.    
   
   
       8 . The cap as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the ramp belongs to the lid and the flap to the base.  
   
   
       9 . The cap as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the flap is formed integrally with the base, and the ramp is formed integrally with the lid and is directed, when the lid is in the folded-down position, toward the outside and away from the base.  
   
   
       10 . The cap as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the base comprises two more or less parallel external wings extending obliquely, forming between them a protected volume within which the flap is able to pivot about an end secured to the base, the opposite end to the free end.  
   
   
       11 . The cap as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the locking means of locking the lid on the base, in the folded-down position, are of the clip-fastening type and are arranged between the lid and the base.  
   
   
       12 . The cap as claimed in  claim 11  and which is arranged to localize the elastic deformation to the locking means.  
   
   
       13 . The cap as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the locking means comprise two bearing surfaces in gliding contact with one another, these belonging respectively one to the base and one to the lid, the respective profiles of which are determined to allow, during their relative movement toward a final relative position, firstly a non-free elastically constrained movement of the lid with respect to the base and finally, in the final position, release of the lid with respect to the base, the base and/or said lid then resuming their initial respective shapes.  
   
   
       14 . The cap as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the base is mounted in a sealed manner, with respect to the contents of the container, on a neck of the container and comprises a discharge duct arranged with an outlet orifice for discharging the said contents,    the lid comprises stoppering means arranged to close off the outlet orifice of the base, in a sealed manner with respect to the contents of said container, when the lid is in the open position, the outlet orifice of the base is uncovered and, when said lid is in the folded-down position, said outlet orifice is closed by the stoppering means.    
   
   
       15 . The cap as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the base comprises an opening for the passage of a neck of the container,    the lid comprises stoppering means arranged to close off the neck of the container, in a sealed manner with respect to the contents of said container,    when the lid is in the open position, the neck of the container is uncovered, and when said lid is in the folded-down position, the neck of the container is closed by the stoppering means.    
   
   
       16 . The cap as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the stoppering means are arranged for sealed closure, requiring antagonist energy in order to release them.  
   
   
       17 . The cap as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the stoppering means serve as means for locking the lid with respect to the base in its folded-down position.  
   
   
       18 . The cap as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the stored mechanical energy is greater, through the construction of the cap, than the energy required to release the stoppering means and/or the means of locking the lid with respect to the base, plus the energy required to overcome the resistance to rotation of the articulation means.  
   
   
       19 . The cap as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein means of halting or slowing the rotational return travel of the lid from its open position to its folded-down position are formed between the base and said lid.  
   
   
       20 . The cap as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the halting or slowing means comprise, on the side of the base or of the lid, a stop tooth and, in register with it, on the side of the lid or of the base, a serrated annulus about the axis of rotation of the hing, the serrations of which escape from the stop tooth in the direction of opening of the lid from its folded-down position, and the serrations of which mesh flexibly with the stop tooth in the direction of the return of the lid from its open position to its folded-down position.  
   
   
       21 . The cap as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the hinge comprises at least one element connecting the base and the lid, formed integrally with the lid and the base, arranged, for example sufficiently thin, to allow a rotational movement of the lid from its folded-down position to its open position, with a limited intrinsic resistance to rotation.  
   
   
       22 . The cap as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lid and the base are two separate parts, connected to one another freely in rotation by the articulation means.  
   
   
       23 . The cap as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the hinge is composed, on the one hand, of at least two female elements arranged along the axis of rotation, belonging to the lid or to the base and, on the other hand, of at least two complementary male elements, mounted to rotate freely in the two female elements respectively, arranged along the axis of rotation, belonging to the base or to the lid.  
   
   
       24 . The cap as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the two male elements and/or the two female elements of the hinge comprise or are associated with means allowing them to be wedged in by simple pressure or translational movement of the lid with respect to the base, the lid and the base being arranged parallel one above the other.  
   
   
       25 . The cap as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein on one side, the lid comprises a barrel provided with two pegs opposed along its axis, forming the two male elements of the hinge and, on the other side, the base comprises, on the one hand, a cradle for accepting the barrel such that it can rotate freely and, on the other hand, on each side of the cradle, two lugs comprising two housings for accepting the two pegs respectively such that they can rotate freely, this forming the two female elements of the hinged.  
   
   
       26 . The cap as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the two pegs and/or the two lugs comprise means, for example cut facets or flats, allowing their respective clip-fastening by simple pressure of the lid on the base.  
   
   
       27 . The cap as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein, on the one side, the lid comprises a barrel provided with at least two housings, arranged along its axis, forming the two female elements of the hinge and, on the other side, the base comprises at least two lugs comprising two pegs fitting with freedom to rotate into the two housings respectively, forming the two male elements of the hinge.  
   
   
       28 . The cap as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the two pegs and/or the two ends of the barrel comprise means, for example cut facets or flats, allowing the two pegs to be clip-fastened into the two housings respectively, by simple pressure of the lid on the base.  
   
   
       29 . A container comprising or incorporating the cap as claimed in any one of  claim 1 , said cap being, for example, arranged on the neck of said container.  
   
   
       30 . The container as claimed in  claim 29 , the internal volume of which is filled with contents capable of flowing, for example a liquid.