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(11) | EP 0 863 086 A3 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | System and method for mechanical closure of container openings |
| (57) A mechanical lid or a plug (101) interacts with an opening (1036) of a pouch or a
container (103), as well as with a rigid ring (102) placed inside the container (103)
opening to provide a tight seal of the opening (1036). The mechanical plug (101) compresses
both the outside of the opening (1036) and the inner face of the ring (102) placed
inside the container opening (1036). The radial edge of the inner face of the mechanical
plug (101) has an arch-shaped annular recess (101a) extending around the plug (101)
such that the radial edge of the plug (101) is adapted to hug the perimeter of the
container opening (1036). In addition, attached to the inner face of the mechanical
plug (101) are two or more legs (1011) which extend perpendicular to the inner face
of the mechanical plug (101) and engage the bottom of the rigid ring/radial groove
combination. The outside surface of the neck region of the container opening (1036)
and the interior surface of the annular recess of the mechanical plug (101) each has
one or more protrusions (1013,1014,1015) which force the container material displaced
by compression to be confined within a defined area, thereby ensuring the tightness
of the seal for a prolonged period of time. The lower surface of the mechanical plug
(101) is sloped downward in the direction of the centre, to which a plunger (1017)
is attached for insertion into the liquid content of the container before the mechanical
plug (101) is snapped into the container opening (1036), thereby substantially eliminating
the residual air bubbles which may otherwise remain trapped between the surface of
the liquid and the lower surface of the mechanical plug (101), which allows airless
filling of the container without the need for a vacuum condition. |