Closure for a container and container with such a closure

Abstract

The present invention relates to a closure for a container with a base element and a flip-top lid attached to said base element by a hinge, such that the flip-top lid can be moved between a fully open and a fully closed position. The flip-top lid has a protrusion extending outwardly from said flip-top lid and said skirt having a tongue member extending from an upper region of the skirt of said base member. The invention also relates to a container with such a closure.

1 . Closure for a container with
 a base element ( 100 ),   a flip-top lid ( 200 ) attached to said base element ( 100 ) by a hinge ( 150 ) such that the flip-top lid ( 200 ) can be moved between a fully opened and a fully closed position,   
       said base element ( 100 ) having a skirt ( 110 ) with attachment means ( 132 ,  134 ) for attaching the closure to the container, said skirt ( 110 ) having an upper region and a lower region, the upper region being closer to the flip-top lid ( 200 ) than said lower region when said flip-top lid is in its fully closed position, 
       said skirt ( 110 ) having a tongue member ( 120 ) extending from said upper region of said skirt ( 110 ) into an upward direction, 
       said flip-top lid ( 200 ) having a protrusion ( 220 ) extending outwardly from said flip-top lid ( 200 ) in a direction being normal to said upward direction into which said tongue member ( 120 ) extends, 
       said tongue member ( 120 ) and said protrusion ( 220 ) being positioned and arranged such that, during a movement of said flip-top lid ( 200 ) between its fully closed and its fully opened position, said protrusion ( 220 ) and said tongue member ( 120 ) are, over a first predetermined angular range of the position of the flip-top lid ( 200 ) relative to the base element ( 100 ) during its movement between its fully closed and its fully opened position, in contact with each other, such that the protrusion ( 220 ) exerts a force onto said tongue member ( 120 ) in an inward direction and said tongue member ( 120 ) exerts a counter-force to said protrusion ( 220 ), 
       such that, when said flip-top lid ( 200 ) is within a second predetermined angular range relative to said base element ( 100 ), said counter-force supports a movement of said flip-top lid ( 200 ) in a direction towards its fully opened position, 
       wherein said tongue element ( 120 ) or an outer surface ( 122 ) thereof extends, in an upper part thereof, at least partly into an inward direction. 
     
     
         2 . Closure according to  claim 1 , wherein an angle of opening (α) of said flip-top lid ( 200 ) between its completely closed and its completely opened position is equal to 180° and preferably greater than 180°. 
     
     
         3 . Closure according to  claim 1 , wherein the hinge ( 150 ) comprises two parts, especially two elastic sheets ( 152 ), connecting the flip-top lid ( 200 ) and the base element ( 100 ). 
     
     
         4 . Closure according to  claim 3 , wherein said tongue member and said protrusion are positioned, in a circumferential direction of said closure, between said two parts of said hinge. 
     
     
         5 . Closure according to  claim 1 , wherein said tongue member ( 120 ) has a portion ( 122 ) which extends both into an upward direction and an inward direction of the closure ( 10 ), preferably a radially inward direction of the closure ( 10 ). 
     
     
         6 . Closure according to  claim 1 , wherein an upper part ( 124 ) of the tongue member ( 120 ) extends only in an upward direction. 
     
     
         7 . Closure according to  claim 1 , wherein an outer surface ( 126 ) of said tongue member is, in one portion ( 122 ) of the tongue member ( 120 ), curved, preferably in a convex form. 
     
     
         8 . Closure according to  claim 1 , wherein an outer surface ( 126 ) of said tongue member ( 110 ) has, in one portion ( 122 ) thereof, an at least partly convexly formed cross section, which preferably turns, in a more upward direction, into a concavely formed cross section, while further preferably in the most upper portion ( 124 ) of the tongue member ( 120 ) the cross section of the outer surface ( 126 ) of said tongue member ( 120 ) is essentially linearly formed. 
     
     
         9 . Closure according to  claim 1 , wherein the protrusion of the flip-top lid ( 200 ) is positioned at an upper portion of the flip-top lid ( 200 ) and extends outwardly, preferably radially outwardly. 
     
     
         10 . Closure according to  claim 1 , wherein the angular extension of said protrusion ( 220 ) and/or said tongue member ( 120 ), in a circumferential direction of the closure ( 10 ), is in the area of about 10° to 40°, preferably 15° to 30°. 
     
     
         11 . Closure according to  claim 1 , wherein the angular extensions of said protrusion ( 220 ) and said tongue member ( 120 ) in a circumferential direction of the closure are exactly identical and overlapping. 
     
     
         12 . Closure according to  claim 1 , wherein the angular extension of said protrusion ( 220 ) is smaller than the angular extension of said tongue member ( 120 ) in a circumferential direction of the closure. 
     
     
         13 . Closure according to  claim 1 , wherein a height of the skirt ( 110 ) of said base element ( 100 ) is different over its circumferential extension, while the height of the skirt ( 110 ) is largest in a circumferential area where said tongue member ( 120 ) and/or said protrusion ( 220 ) are positioned. 
     
     
         14 . Container with a closure according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . Container according to  claim 14 , wherein said closure ( 10 ) is attached to a neck ( 300 ) of said container and wherein the neck ( 300 ) comprises, at its outer surface, a protrusion ( 340 ), wherein said tongue member ( 120 ) is arranged such that it extends in an inward direction at a position above said protrusion ( 340 ) of said neck ( 300 ) of said container.