Packaging System For At Least One Product Preparation Component And Corresponding Method For Handling The Product Preparation Component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022002068-A1
Application number	US-202117481287-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 21, 2021
Priority date	Mar 21, 2019
Publication date	Jan 6, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A packaging system for at least one product preparation component, having a first container for storing a first product preparation component, a second container for storing at least one further product preparation component, and a closure device which seals off an opening in the first container from the environment by way of a closure element having a coupling apparatus to couple the second container to the closure device and establishes a fluid connection between the first container and the second container. The invention additionally relates to a method for handling at least one product preparation component. The aim of the invention is to ensure a reliable packaging system which allows a user-friendly handling of the contained product preparation components. The closure element and the coupling apparatus are joined together as separate components in a non-detachable manner forming the closure device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A packaging system for at least one product preparation component, comprising a first container for storing a first product preparation component, a second container for optionally storing at least one further product preparation component, and a closure device which seals off an opening in the first container from the environment by means of a closure element and has a coupling apparatus in order to couple the second container to the closure device and in order to establish a fluid connection between the first container and the second container, wherein the closure element and the coupling apparatus are joined together as separate components in a non-detachable manner in order to form the closure device, the closure element comprising a cap which closes the opening in the first container and is connected to a fastening sleeve of the closure element via a predetermined break point in the initial state of the closure device.

2 . The packaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the closure element, with the exception of when it has been destroyed, is non-detachably connected to the first container by means of a fastening sleeve.

3 . The packaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the cap is axially displaceable with respect to an axis of the closure device relative to the coupling apparatus and is arranged non-rotatably with respect to rotation about the axis.

4 . The packaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling apparatus has a thread for screwing on the second container.

5 . The packaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the fastening sleeve and the coupling apparatus each have at least one mutually corresponding rotation stop element which allows the relative rotation of the fastening sleeve and the coupling apparatus about the axis of the closure device only as far as until the corresponding rotation stop elements abut one another.

6 . The packaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the cap is connected to the first container via a thread which has a direction of rotation counter to the thread of the coupling apparatus.

7 . The packaging system according to claim 6 , wherein the cap thread has a high thread pitch in order to fully detach the cap from the first container by at most one rotation when said cap is rotated relative to said first container.

8 . The packaging system according to claim 1 , wherein a further product preparation component is stored in the second container in order for the first product preparation component to be mixed with the at least one further product preparation component after the second container has been coupled to the first container by means of the closure device.

9 . The packaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the closure device can be coupled to the second container in a liquid-tight manner.

10 . The packaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the closure device has at least one sealing element in order to ensure a liquid-tight connection to the first container and/or second container.

11 . A method for transferring at least one product preparation component from a first container into a second container using a packaging system according to claim 1 , characterized by the following method steps:
a. attaching the first container to the second container by means of the closure device by corresponding threads on the coupling apparatus and on the second container being brought into engagement, b. screwing the closure device onto the second container by means of the coupling apparatus as far as a coupling end position between the coupling apparatus and the second container, c. continuing the relative rotation between the first container or the closure element and the second container, the cap which is arranged non-rotatably relative to the coupling apparatus being separated from the closure element at the predetermined break point, d. further continuing the relative rotation between the first container or the closure element and the second container, the separated cap being connected to the first container by means of a thread which has a direction of rotation counter to the thread of the coupling apparatus, and the cap thus being unscrewed from the first container, e. forming a fluid connection between the first container and second container by the cap which is detached from the first container moving into the second container and the opening in the first container being opened, f. transferring the product preparation component from the first container into the second container.

12 . A method for mixing a multi-component product preparation using a packaging system according to claim 1 , comprising a first container for storing a first product preparation component and a second container for storing at least one further product preparation component, characterized by the following method steps:
a. attaching the first container to the second container by means of the closure device by corresponding threads on the coupling apparatus and on the second container being brought into engagement, b. screwing the closure device onto the second container by means of the coupling apparatus as far as a coupling end position between the coupling apparatus and the second container, c. continuing the relative rotation between the first container or the closure element and the second container, the cap which is arranged non-rotatably relative to the coupling apparatus being separated from the closure element at the predetermined break point, d. further continuing the relative rotation between the first container or the closure element and the second container, the separated cap being connected to the first container by means of a thread which has a direction of rotation counter to the thread of the coupling apparatus, and the cap thus being unscrewed from the first container, e. forming a fluid connection between the first container and second container by the cap which is detached from the first container moving into the second container and the opening in the first container being opened, f. transferring the first product preparation component from the first container into the second container, g. mixing the two product preparation components in the first container and/or second container.

13 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the method steps a.-b. for coupling the two containers can be carried out reversibly such that the two containers can be decoupled again in the same way when the relative direction of rotation is reversed according to method steps b.-a.

14 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the relative rotation between the fastening sleeve and the coupling apparatus about the axis of the closure device is limited to a rotation range of less than 360° by mutually corresponding rotation stop elements being provided on the fastening sleeve and the coupling apparatus, which elements allow a relative rotation only between a start and an end stop position of the corresponding rotation stop elements.

Assignees

• Henkel Ag & Co Kgaa

Inventors

• Lombard Antoine

Classifications

• B65D51/2871 Primary

  the plug falling into the main container · CPC title

• B65D81/3211 Primary

  coaxially and provided with means facilitating admixture · CPC title

• B65D2251/0015

  of the 41-type · CPC title

• B65D41/04

  Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers secured by rotation · CPC title

• B65D2251/009

  of the 51-type · CPC title