Resealable Pouring Element for Cardboard/Plastic Composite Packages With an Anchor Ring for Securely Fastening Screw Cap

Abstract

Represented and described is a resealable pouring element for cardboard/plastic composite packages, in particular beverage packages, with a base element with a circumferential fastening flange as well as an external thread, with opening means arranged at least in the unopened state of the pouring element in the interior of the base element and with a screw cap with internal thread. The opening means are designed such that when the composite package is initially opened by unscrewing the screw cap by breaking the composite material of the package or a barrier layer located in the base element, a pour opening is created inside the pouring element. In order to ensure a fastening of the screw cap to the pouring element in such a resealable pouring element, even in the unscrewed stale, it is provided that an anchor ring is arranged below the screw cap, is connected thereto in a rotationally-fixed manner and is connected to the base element so as to be radially freely rotatable around the base element and in a tension-resistant manner in the axial direction and in that, to securely fasten the screw cap to the base element, even in the unscrewed state, the anchor ring is connected to the screw cap a hinged manner via a hinge element, whose pivot axis is aligned tangentially to the outer circumference of the screw cap.

1 . A resealable pouring element for cardboard/plastic composite packages, in particular beverage packages, with a base element having a circumferential fastening flange as well as an external thread, with opening means arranged at least in the unopened state of the pouring element in the interior of the base element and with a screw cap with internal thread, wherein an anchor ring is arranged below the screw cap, is connected thereto in a rotationally-fixed manner and is connected to the base element so as to be radially freely rotatable around the base element and in a tension-resistant manner in the axial direction, in that, to securely fasten the screw cap to the base element even in the unscrewed state, the anchor ring is connected to the screw cap in a hinged manner via a binge element, whose pivot axis is aligned tangentially to the outer circumference of the screw cap,
 wherein the opening means are designed such that when the composite package is initially opened by unscrewing the screw cap by breaking the composite material of the package or a barrier layer located in the base element, a pour opening is created inside the pouring element, in that the base element has an outwardly protruding and substantially circumferential collar on its outer side, in that the anchor ring has at its lower end a substantially circumferential web, which is directed towards the base element and which is arranged below the collar, in order to prevent the anchor ring from being pulled off over the collar, in that the collar is arranged in the unopened state in the axial direction in the upper region of the anchor ring such that when the screw cap is unscrewed, a movement of the binge element hi the axial direction is possible until the web comes into contact with the collar and in that, when the screw cap is pivoted away, the pivot axis of the hinge element is arranged in the axial direction in the upper half of the base element.   
     
     
         2 . The pouring element according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the anchor ring has a slot running in the circumferential direction, which separates the anchor ring in a section into upper parts and a lower part, wherein the upper parts and the lower part are arranged spaced apart from one another in the axial direction.   
     
     
         3 . The pouring element according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the slot is arranged in the circumferential direction in the region of the hinge element, wherein the hinge element is connected to the upper parts of the anchor ring such that in each case the end of the upper parts facing the hinge element is twisted after pivoting open the screw cap.   
     
     
         4 . The pouring element according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the hinge element is arranged centrally to the slot in the circumferential direction.   
     
     
         5 . The pouring element according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the lower end of the hinge element protrudes downwards over the lower end of the upper parts of the anchor ring in the direction of the fastening flange in the unopened state of the pouring element.   
     
     
         6 . The pouring element according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the screw cap in the pivoted-open state at an opening angle of 120° to 150° is locked by the hinge element in its opening position in relation to its pivot opening.   
     
     
         7 . The pouring element according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the screw cap is radially freely rotatable in its locked opening position.   
     
     
         8 . The pouring element according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the hinge element is arranged above the lower third of the base element in relation to its pivot axis in the unopened state.   
     
     
         9 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The pouring element according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein when the screw cap is pivoted away, the pivot axis of the hinge element is arranged in the axial direction in the upper third of the base element.   
     
     
         14 . The pouring element according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein ribs protruding outwards in the direction of the anchor ring and extending perpendicular to the fastening flange are provided on the base element below the collar and center the anchor ring in relation to the base element.   
     
     
         15 . The pouring element according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the opening means comprise a cutting element arranged in the interior of the base element and at least one driver web arranged in the interior of the screw cap and connected thereto in a form-fitting or materially-bonded manner.   
     
     
         16 . The pouring element according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein the at least one driver web protrudes at least partially from the interior of the screw cap in the pivoted-open state.   
     
     
         17 . The pouring element according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein the at least one driver web is attached as close as possible to the hinge element in the circumferential direction.   
     
     
         18 . The pouring element according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein the at least one driver web is in each ease arranged as far as possible away from the hinge element in the circumferential direction.   
     
     
         19 . The pouring element according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein a plurality of driver webs arranged evenly distributed over the circumference is provided.   
     
     
         20 . The pouring element according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein at least one tamper-evident seal is arranged between the fastening flange and the anchor ring or the screw cap.   
     
     
         21 . The pouring element according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein another ring is arranged below the anchor ring and is connected to the anchor ring via a plurality of material bridges and serves as a tamper-evident seal.   
     
     
         22 . The pouring element according to  claim 21 ,
 wherein the ring can only be twisted to a limited extent by blocking webs protruding inwards from the ring with locking elements arranged over the circumference of the base element such that it is released from the anchor ring when the screw cap is unscrewed initially by tearing off the material bridges and remains in its position on the base element.   
     
     
         23 . The pouring element according to  claim 21 ,
 wherein the base element has an outwardly protruding and substantially circumferential collar on its outer side, wherein the clear inner diameter of the collar is smaller than the clear distance between the webs of the ring arranged opposite in each case.   
     
     
         24 . The pouring element according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the fastening flange is connected to the inner side of the composite package, wherein the base element is sealed on the package side in its interior in the unopened state, wherein the opening means comprise an opening element arranged in the unopened state in the interior of the base element and connected thereto in a materially-bonded manner and at least one force transfer element, which is arranged in the interior of the screw cap and is connected thereto in a materially-bonded manner, and wherein the opening element is connected to the at least one force transfer element in a materially-bonded manner.   
     
     
         25 . The pouring element according to  claim 24 ,
 wherein the opening element is no longer connected to the base element in a materially-bonded manner after the initial opening of the pouring element.   
     
     
         26 . The pouring element according to  claim 24 ,
 wherein the opening element protrudes at least partially from the interior of the screw cap in the pivoted-open state.