Closure assembly, container provided with the closure assembly, and method for producing filled containers provided with the closure assembly

Abstract

The present invention relates to a closure assembly (1) for a container and a method for manufacturing and filling a container with such a closure assembly. The closure assembly comprises a plastic spout (5) having an attachment portion (5a) which is configured to be sealed or is sealed to a container. It further comprises a plastic cap (10) to be mounted on the spout, comprising a cap body (11) with a protective slotted skirt (11b) and a connecting lever (14). The lever is provided with a spout connector portion (14a) at the lower end thereof. The spout is provided with an associated lever connector portion (5k), wherein the spout connector portion and the lever connector portion are interconnectable.

1 . A closure assembly for a container, comprising:
 a plastic spout having an attachment portion which is configured to be sealed or is sealed to a container, which spout further has a tubular neck with a vertical main axis, wherein a product passage extends through the neck to a mouth at a top of the neck allowing to dispense a product from the container,   a plastic cap which is integrally formed as one piece distinct from the spout, which cap is configured to be mounted, or is mounted on the spout, wherein the cap comprises, seen in a closed and mounted state thereof:
 a cap body with a top end wall extending over the mouth of the neck and a protective slotted skirt depending downward from the top end wall along the neck to an open lower cap end of the cap body, the skirt defining a slot at a backside of the cap body which extends from the open lower cap end upward towards the top end wall of the cap body and allows for passing of the neck there through upon opening of the cap, wherein the cap body is provided with a sealing portion which—in the closed state and mounted state of the cap—sealingly interacts with the neck of the spout to close and seal the product passage of the spout; wherein the cap further comprises, seen in a closed and mounted state thereof 
 a connecting lever extending—in the closed and mounted state of the cap—along the neck at the backside of the cap body, which lever extends from an upper end thereof that is integral with the cap body via an integrally formed upper hinge defining an upper pivot axis to a lower end of the lever, 
   wherein the lever is provided with a spout connector portion at the lower end thereof, and wherein the spout is provided with an associated lever connector portion, wherein the spout connector portion and the lever connector portion are configured to be interconnected or are interconnected, when mounting the cap on the spout,   wherein the lever is pivotal about a lower hinge defining a lower pivot axis,   wherein the upper and lower pivot axes are parallel to one another and perpendicular to the main axis of the spout,   
       wherein the cap is configured to be manually moved by user from the closed state into an opened state through:
 a primary pivoting motion of the cap body about the upper pivot axis, moving the cap body into a semi-open position in which the sealing portion of the cap body is disengaged from the neck of the spout, during which primary pivoting motion of the cap body the lever remains extending upward along the neck at said backside of the cap body, and 
 a subsequent secondary pivoting motion of the lever about the lower pivot axis, moving the cap body from the semi-open position towards the backside, i.e. the side of the lever, to an open consumption position wherein the cap body is remote from the neck. 
 
     
     
         2 . Closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the lower pivot axis is defined by the interconnection between the spout connector portion and complementary lever connector portion. 
     
     
         3 . Closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the lever comprises at a lower end thereof above the spout connector portion an integrally formed lower hinge defining the lower pivot axis. 
     
     
         4 . Closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the spout comprises below the lever connector portion an integrally formed lower hinge defining the lower pivot axis. 
     
     
         5 . Closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the lever in a top view is arranged inside the outer circumference of the cap body. 
     
     
         6 . Closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the lever is mirror-symmetrical about an axis parallel to the main axis of the spout. 
     
     
         7 . Closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the spout is mirror-symmetrical about an axis parallel to the main axis of the spout. 
     
     
         8 . Closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the skirt is connected via one or more breakable tamper-evident bridges to the lever in a secured and closed position of the cap. 
     
     
         9 . Closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the cap body is secured in the open consumption position. 
     
     
         10 . Container provided with a closure assembly according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . Method for manufacturing and filling a container with a closure assembly of  claim 1  mounted on said container, said method comprising the steps of:
 providing a container having a spout mounting location, 
 mounting the attachment portion of the spout in the spout mounting location 
 filling the container via the product passage of the spout, 
 interconnecting the spout connector portion and the lever connector portion to mount the cap onto the spout. 
 
     
     
         12 . Method for manufacturing and filling a container with a closure assembly of  claim 1  mounted on said container, said method comprising the steps of:
 providing and filling a container having a spout mounting location, 
 mounting the attachment portion of the spout in the spout mounting location, 
 interconnecting the spout connector portion and the lever connector portion to mount the cap onto the spout.