Securing device for a removal fitting

Abstract

The invention relates to a securing device for the placement of a tapping armature (10) on a tapping neck (11) formed integrally on a container wall (13) of a plastic container (12), the tapping armature (10) having an armature housing (20) comprising a screw flange (18) which has an internal thread (17) for being screwed to an external thread (16) formed on a threaded extension (15) of the tapping neck (11), a securing ring (28) being disposed between the container wall (13) and the screw flange (18), said securing ring (28) having locking protrusions (37) for forming a locking means (36) which are disposed on an inner circumference and directed radially inward and whose locking ends for locking with a stop means (48) formed on the container (12) are disposed on a locking circumference (53), whose diameter D is greater than the diameter d of the external thread (16) of the tapping neck (11) or equal to said diameter d.

1 . A securing device for the placement of a tapping armature ( 10 ) on a tapping neck ( 11 ) formed integrally on a container wall ( 13 ) of a plastic container ( 12 ), the tapping armature ( 10 ) having an armature housing ( 20 ) comprising a screw flange ( 18 ) formed concentrically with a plastic inlet neck ( 19 ) on said inlet neck ( 19 ), the screw flange ( 18 ) having an internal thread ( 17 ) for being screwed to an external thread ( 16 ) formed on a threaded extension ( 15 ) of the tapping neck ( 11 ) in such a manner that the tapping neck ( 11 ) engages into an annular neck receiving space ( 33 ) formed between the inlet neck ( 19 ) and the screw flange ( 18 ), a securing ring ( 28 ) being disposed between the container wall ( 13 ) and the screw flange ( 18 ), the securing ring ( 28 ) adapted for connecting to the screw flange ( 18 ) and a lock ( 36 ) for connecting it to the container ( 12 ), the securing ring ( 28 ) having locking protrusions ( 37 ) for forming the lock ( 36 ) which are disposed on an inner circumference and directed radially inward and whose locking ends ( 52 ) for locking with a stop ( 48 ) formed on the container ( 12 ) are disposed on a locking circumference ( 53 ), whose diameter D is greater than the diameter d of the external thread ( 16 ) of the tapping neck ( 11 ) or equal to said diameter d. 
     
     
         2 . The securing device according to  claim 1 , wherein an axial stop ( 34 ) for coming into contact with a front end ( 35 ) of the tapping neck ( 11 ) is formed in the neck receiving space ( 33 ). 
     
     
         3 . The securing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the stop ( 48 ) is formed on a neck base ( 14 ) of the tapping neck ( 11 ) formed adjacent to the container wall ( 13 ). 
     
     
         4 . The securing device according to  claim 3 , wherein the neck base ( 14 ) is realized as a collar formed in the area of transition from the container wall ( 13 ) to the threaded extension ( 15 ) of the tapping neck ( 11 ), said collar having latching protrusions distributed across its circumference, each latching protrusion having a latching surface ( 51 ) which extends substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the tapping armature ( 10 ). 
     
     
         5 . The securing device according to  claim 4 , wherein the latching protrusions are realized as latching ramps ( 49 ) having a ramp surface ( 50 ) which rises from the circumference of the neck base ( 14 ) and which forms a latching shoulder with the latching surface ( 51 ). 
     
     
         6 . The securing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the length of the tapping neck ( 11 ), the design of the external thread ( 16 ) on the tapping neck ( 11 ), and the distribution of the latching protrusions ( 43 ) at the circumference of the neck base ( 14 ) are selected such that when the axial stop ( 34 ) of the armature housing comes into contact with the front end ( 35 ) of the tapping neck ( 11 ) with a defined preload force, at least one locking protrusion ( 37 ) of the lock ( 36 ) of the securing ring ( 28 ) elastically latches behind the latching surface ( 51 ) of a latching protrusion ( 43 ). 
     
     
         7 . The securing device according to  claim 1 , wherein in order to form a radially acting seal ( 55 ), a sealing space ( 59 ) is formed which has an inner sealing surface ( 56 ), which is formed by an outer wall ( 32 ) of the inlet neck ( 19 ), and an outer sealing surface ( 58 ), which is formed by an inner wall ( 57 ) of the tapping neck ( 11 ), and which is provided with an O-ring seal ( 30 ) accommodated in the sealing space ( 59 ) so as to come into contact with the inner sealing surface ( 56 ) and with the outer sealing surface ( 58 ). 
     
     
         8 . The securing device according to  claim 7 , wherein for forming the sealing space ( 59 ), a circumferential recess ( 60 ) is formed at an inner opening edge at the front end ( 35 ) of the tapping neck ( 11 ) in such a manner that a limiting surface ( 62 ) which axially limits the sealing space ( 59 ) and which is axially recessed relative to a stop surface ( 61 ) which serves to come into contact with the axial stop ( 34 ) of the neck receiving space ( 33 ) is formed by the recess ( 60 ). 
     
     
         9 . The securing device according to  claim 7 , wherein the inner sealing surface ( 56 ) and/or the outer sealing surface ( 58 ) conically taper in the axial direction in such a manner that the height of the of the sealing space ( 59 ) decreases in the direction of the tapping neck ( 11 ). 
     
     
         10 . The securing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the the securing ring ( 28 ) includes a driver pocket ( 29 ) formed at a front side ( 40 ) of the securing ring ( 28 ), said front side ( 40 ) facing the screw flange ( 18 ), said driver pocket ( 29 ) serving to be engaged by a driver tab ( 27 ), which is formed on the screw flange ( 18 ), in such a manner that the tapping armature ( 10 ) and the securing ring ( 28 ) are disposed coaxially when driver tab ( 27 ) is engaged in the driver pocket ( 29 ) in a form-fitting manner. 
     
     
         11 . The securing device according to  claim 10 , wherein in addition to the driver pocket ( 29 ), the securing ring ( 28 ) has at least one other driver element ( 41 ) which allows a torque to be transmitted from the screw flange ( 18 ) to the securing ring ( 28 ) in the mounting direction ( 39 ) only. 
     
     
         12 . The securing device according to  claim 11 , wherein the driver element ( 41 ) has a radial stop surface ( 45 ) serving to come into contact with a web flank ( 46 ) of a driver web ( 47 ) which is formed on the screw flange ( 18 ) and which extends in the axial direction. 
     
     
         13 . The securing device according to  claim 12 , wherein the driver element ( 41 ) has a latching protrusion ( 43 ) for axially latching on a mating latching element ( 44 ) formed on the screw flange ( 18 ) so as to fix the securing ring ( 28 ) to the screw flange ( 18 ) in a coaxial mounting position. 
     
     
         14 . The securing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the driver pocket ( 29 ) is configured as a tamper-evident element in such a manner that a visible wall ( 64 ) connected to a base wall ( 64 ) formed on the securing ring ( 28 ) via a predetermined break ( 66 ,  67 ) is provided, a receiving space ( 65 ) for the driver tab ( 27 ) of the screw flange ( 18 ) being formed between the base wall ( 63 ) and the visible wall ( 64 ) so as to form the driver pocket ( 29 ). 
     
     
         15 . The securing device according to  claim 14 , wherein the visible wall ( 64 ) has at least two visible-wall portions ( 69 ,  70 ) connected to the base wall ( 63 ) via the predetermined break ( 66 ,  67 ), the front visible-wall portion ( 69 ) in the dismounting direction ( 38 ) of the screw flange ( 18 ) having a stop edge ( 71 ) for the driver tab ( 27 ) and the rear visible-wall portion ( 70 ) in the dismounting direction ( 38 ) having a stop edge ( 78 ) for a following driver web ( 47 ) of the screw flange ( 18 ) in the dismounting direction ( 38 ).