Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D45/00—Clamping or other pressure-applying devices for securing or retaining closure members
  • B65D45/02—Clamping or other pressure-applying devices for securing or retaining closure members for applying axial pressure to engage closure with sealing surface
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D63/00—Flexible elongated elements, e.g. straps, for bundling or supporting articles
  • B65D63/10—Non-metallic straps, tapes, or bands; Filamentary elements, e.g. strings, threads or wires; Joints between ends thereof
  • B65D63/1018—Joints produced by application of integral securing members, e.g. buckles, wedges, tongue and slot, locking head and teeth or the like
  • B65D63/1027—Joints produced by application of integral securing members, e.g. buckles, wedges, tongue and slot, locking head and teeth or the like the integral securing member being formed as a female and male locking member, e.g. locking head and locking teeth, or the like
  • B65D63/1063—Joints produced by application of integral securing members, e.g. buckles, wedges, tongue and slot, locking head and teeth or the like the integral securing member being formed as a female and male locking member, e.g. locking head and locking teeth, or the like the female locking member being provided with at least one plastic barb

Definitions

• the present patent application relates to a tie, a kit and a method for sealing a container.
• the transport of goods by means of containers generally comprising a cup-shaped body having an upper rim closed by a cover, is known.
• Modes for fastening the cover to the cup-shaped body can be of various types.
• Solutions of known type involve providing a cover and cup-shaped body already fitted so as to be able to seal each other once closed; or it is known to apply external sealing elements.
• these solutions of known type have the disadvantage of limiting available sizes of the containers (in the case of special covers and containers); or of being destructive by requiring holes to be drilled in the cup-shaped body and/or in the cover so as to allow the fastening of the external sealing elements.
• An object of the present invention is to provide a tie which can be applied to any type of container, regardless of its shape and size, and which is capable of locally ensuring the fastening of the cover to the cup-shaped body.
• the present invention relates to a use for containers made of polymeric material and generally comprising: a cover with a thin, upward-projecting rim at the external perimeter; a cup-shaped body having an internal cavity accessible through a flange.
• containers with a cover with permanent closure for storing, transporting and incinerating potentially infectious hospital waste.
• containers are known whose cover forms, together with a cup-shaped container body, an indivisible shape and interference coupling when closed. In this manner, the container is substantially sealed, which renders impossible a leakage of potentially infectious waste, unless the cover and/or the cup-shaped body are broken.
• Containers with covers of the type described above must meet the requirements of resistance to external stress stipulated by ISO standards, which determine the level of resistance of said container when subjected, for example, to phenomena such as falling from a height.
• a container for hospital use of the type described above is made of polymeric material and has the disadvantage that it must be incinerated, along with its contents, thus itself becoming waste material.
• An object of the present invention is to provide a kit that makes it possible to obtain a sealed container which is capable of ensuring the necessary safety during transport of the same, but which at the same time can be removed in a non-destructive manner so as to allow the opening and the sanitization of said container. Furthermore, the kit must be restorable so as to allow an indefinite number of subsequent uses.
• An object of the present invention is to provide a method that enables the sealing of a container in a simple, inexpensive and quick manner, in particular commercially available and commonly used containers, for example containers made of polymeric material for building materials (paint, powdered material, etc.).
• a kit for producing a sealed container is provided as set forth in the appended claims.
• reference number 1 indicates, as a whole, a tie according to the present invention.
• the tie 1 comprises a coupling head 2, a fastening head 3 and a serrated tongue 4, which is a laminar body and which extends along a longitudinal axis X as will be better illustrated in the following.
• the tongue 4 is delimited axially by a proximal end e1 and a distal end e2, respectively.
• the coupling head 2 is fastened to the proximal end e1, while the fastening head 3 is connected to the distal end e2.
• the tie 1 is a single body; in particular, it was produced by casting polymeric material.
• the coupling head 2, the tongue 4 and the fastening head 3 are separate bodies that are interconnected.
• the coupling head 2 comprises a body 5, which has a slot 6, communicating with the exterior through an axial opening 7.
• the body 5 is a laminar body folded so as to form a "C" with the concavity facing the distal end e2 of the tongue 4.
• the shape and the dimensions of the body 5 and of the slot 6 are variable.
• the body 5 comprises two lateral walls 8 and 9, which are parallel to each other, and an abutment wall 10, which connects the lateral walls 8 and 9 transversally.
• the lateral walls 8 and 9 are two flat bodies, which extend along the longitudinal axis X.
• the abutment wall 10 is transverse to the longitudinal axis X.
• the lateral walls 8, 9 and the abutment wall 10 delimit the slot 6 laterally.
• the body 5 also has an internal surface S1, an external surface S2 and a lateral surface S3.
• the slot 6 communicates with the exterior through the axial opening 7 and two lateral openings 11 and 12.
• the lateral wall 8 connected to the tongue 4 has an extension x1 greater than the extension x2 of the lateral wall 9.
• the extensions x1 and x2 are variable and are illustrated by way of mere non-exhaustive example.
• the tongue 4 projects from the lateral wall 8.
• the tongue 4 is a slender body and is delimited laterally by two larger lateral surfaces, designated hereinafter as rest surface S4 and external surface S5, and a lateral surface S6.
• the internal surface S1 of the lateral wall 8 and the rest surface S4 of the tongue 4 are coplanar.
• the tongue 4 has a serrated portion 14 formed by a plurality of wedge-shaped teeth 15.
• each tooth 15 has an inclined flank 16 and a straight flank 18, which protrude from the external surface S5 of the tongue 4.
• the straight flank 18 is perpendicular to the external surface S5, while the inclined flank 16 is angled at an angle ⁇ with respect to the external surface S5.
• An inclined flank 16 is interposed between two adjacent straight flanks 18. The inclined flank 16 projects from a respective straight flank 18 towards the end e2 of the tongue 4.
• the tongue 4 further comprises a tapered tip 17 which is arranged at the end e2 and which constitutes the final portion of the tongue 4.
• the fastening head 3 is attached to said tip 17.
• the fastening head 3 is configured in such a manner that it can be detached from the tongue 4 when it is put to use.
• the fastening head 3 is connected to the tongue 4 by a weakening point 13 of a width and thickness that it can be torn using the force that a person can exert with his or her bare hands (for example, by repeatedly folding or bending the fastening head 3 with respect to the tongue 4 at the point 13).
• the fastening head 3 comprises a coupling unit 19 and a clamping unit 20.
• the clamping unit 20 is integral with the coupling unit 19.
• the coupling unit 19 and the clamping unit 20 form a single, cohesive body.
• the coupling unit 19 has a slot 21, in particular open on three sides.
• the coupling unit 19 is formed by a laminar body folded in a "U" shape.
• the coupling unit 19 comprises two lateral walls 22 and 23 and a transverse wall 24, which connects the lateral walls 22 and 23.
• the coupling unit 19 is delimited by an internal surface S7, an external surface S8, at the larger lateral walls, and a lateral surface S9, at the smaller lateral walls.
• the clamping unit 20 has an opening 25, which is configured to be passed through, in use, by the tongue 4.
• the opening has a passage section that allows the tongue 4 to pass through at a given angle.
• the clamping unit 20 comprises a tongue 26 which projects into the opening 25 and which is configured to interlock, in use, with the serrated portion 14 of the tongue 4.
• the tongue 26 is elastic.
• the tongue 26 is inclined at a given angle ⁇ relative to the surface S4 of the tongue 4 when it is arranged through the opening 25.
• the tongue 26 fits between the straight flank 18 of said tooth 15 and the inclined flank 16 of the next tooth 15.
• the tongue 4 can pass through the opening 25 with a displacement in a forward direction D1, but the displacement in the opposite direction, designated hereinafter as reverse direction D2, is blocked.
• the shape and the dimensions of the serrated portion 14 and of the tongue 26 are variable and are illustrated by way of mere non-exhaustive example. According to variants not illustrated, the teeth 15 and the tongue 26 can be of different types.
• the clamping unit 20 comprises a lever 27 (illustrated in Figure 5 ), which is fastened to the tongue 26 and is configured to be graspable by a person.
• the lever 27 projects outside the clamping unit 20. According to this solution, a person can grasp the lever 27 and lift the tongue 26 so as to bend it outwards, open the passage of the opening 25 and allow the tongue 26 to slide in the reverse direction D2.
• kits 29 according to the present invention is illustrated in Figure 6 .
• the kit 29 comprises a container 30 formed by a container body 31 and a cover 32.
• the kit 29 further comprises one or more ties 1 of the type described above.
• the shape and the dimensions of the container body 31 and of the cover 32 are variable.
• Figure 7 shows a kit 29 in which the container body 31 has the shape of a truncated cone.
• the container 30 is a rectangular parallelepiped;
• the container body 31 is a cup-shaped body that has a bottom 31I configured to be arranged, in use, so as to rest on a plane ⁇ and a lateral wall 31II which projects above the perimeter of the bottom so as to delimit laterally a container space 31III which faces the exterior through a rim (in a known manner and not shown);
• the cover 32 is a substantially flat body configured to be applied with pressure on the rim so as to close the container space 31III.
• the container 30 has at least one housing 33 configured to contain a respective tie 1.
• the cover 32 has two housings 33I and 33II.
• the shape and the dimensions of each housing 33 are variable and are illustrated by way of mere non-exhaustive example.
• one housing 33 is configured to house a plurality of ties 1.
• the housings 33, 33I, 33II are formed in the cover 32. According to a variant not illustrated, the housings 33, 33I, 33II are formed in the container 30.
• the container 30 has a reference point 34 for the positioning of each tie 1.
• the reference point 34 is a recess formed in the cover 32. According to variants not illustrated and without losing generality, the position, the shape, the dimensions and the arrangement of the reference points 34 can differ from what is illustrated. In Figure 6 , there are two reference points 34, which are formed close to opposite sides of the cover 32.
• the tie 1 can be supplied to a person either individually or with the kit 29.
• a tie 1 can be used for the clamping of any container 30' ( Figures 3 and 4 ), shown resting on a plane ⁇ (the terms upper, lower, above, below, etc. are used with reference to the container 30' resting on the plane ⁇ ).
• the container 30' is any container made of polymeric material used, for example, for transporting paint or building materials.
• the container 30' comprises, in a known manner and illustrated schematically: a cover 32' with a thin, upward-projecting rim 35' at the external perimeter; a cup-shaped body 31' having an internal cavity (of a known type and not illustrated) accessible through a flange 36'.
• the flange 36' is formed by folding, into the shape of a downward-facing "U", polymeric material having a crown C of reduced thickness (comparable to the thickness of the rim of the cover and/or of the lateral wall of the cup-shaped body) spaced apart from the lateral wall of the cup-shaped body 32' by a gap I (of a known type and illustrated schematically) accessible from below.
• the fastening head 3 and the tongue 4 are connected to each other and the tie 1 is a single body ( Figures 1 and 2 ).
• the fastening head 3 is detached from the tongue 4.
• the pressure and/or bending applied manually by a person is sufficient, so as to break the connection at the weakening point 13.
• the coupling head 2 is applied to the cover 32' so as to insert a portion of the rim 35' inside the slot 6. As the slot 6 is open on three sides, it is possible to push the coupling head 2 right down onto the rim 35' so as to place the abutment wall 10 against the rim 35'.
• the tongue 4 is arranged so as to extend along the box body 31'.
• the fastening head 3 is oriented so that the slot 21 is open towards the cover 32' and so that the opening 25 of the clamping unit 20 is aligned with the tongue 4.
• the tip 17 of the tongue 4 is inserted into the opening 25 of the clamping unit 20.
• the fastening head 3 is slid along the tongue 4 until it comes to rest against the flange 36' and so that a portion of the crown C is inserted into the slot 21 of the coupling unit 19. As the slot 21 is open on three sides, it is possible to push the fastening head 3 right onto the crown C so as to place the transverse wall 24 against the crown C.
• the tongue 4 is pulled, so as to make the serrated portion 14 pass through the opening 25 in the forward direction D1.
• the tongue 26 snaps in automatically between the teeth 15 of the serrated portion 14, thus preventing the tongue 4 from re-exiting the opening 25.
• a plurality of ties 1 of the type described above it is possible to ensure the complete sealing of the same.
• a container 30' of a circular design Figures 3 and 4
• in the case of a container 30' of a rectangular design Figure 6
• the cover 32 has reference points 34 (in the illustrated example recesses 34 which enable the coupling of a respective coupling head 2) so that the positioning of each tie 1 is unambiguous and unmistakable for the operator.
• the container 30 is sealed and can only be opened by breaking/damaging the ties 1.
• the coupling head 2 is applied to the cover 32', while the fastening head 3 is applied to the container body 31'; according to a variant not illustrated, the fastening head 3 can be applied to the cover 32' and the coupling head 2 can be applied to the container body 31'.
• the kit 29 of the type described above thus makes it possible to obtain the sealing of the container 30 in a quick and easy manner.
• a tie 1 of the type described above is made of low-cost, disposable polymeric material, which can be recycled as plastic waste.
• the tie 1 is formed by moulding.
• a tie 1 of the type described above can be used to seal most of the containers 30' currently in use, especially in the field of the transport of building materials, without it being necessary to modify said containers 30', which remain intact.
• a tie 1 of the type described above is quick and easy to apply.
• a kit of the type described above is easy to apply, involves very little waste material (only the waste of the used ties 1), is reliable in ensuring the hermetic closure of the container 30 and can enable the tracking of said kit 29, thanks to the application of ties 1 with identification elements.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=92925678

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (1)

Citations (2)

• 2025
  • 2025-07-08 EP EP25188042.3A patent/EP4682075A1/fr active Pending

Patent Citations (2)

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