Container for loosely stored products and method for opening such container

Abstract

A container for loosely stored products including a container body, a cover for closing an opening end of the container body, the cover being movable between a closed position closing the opening end of the container body and an open position, and an opening part provided on the container body wherein the opening part includes a pushing element with a contact portion, and a lifting portion positioned, in the closed position of a cover, beneath an abutment of the cover, the contact portion of the pushing element being arranged to be pushed away from the opening end of the container body such that the lifting portion displaces the abutment of the cover.

1 . A container for loosely stored products, comprising:
 a container body;   a cover for closing an opening end of the container body,   the cover being movable between a closed position closing the opening end of the container body and an open position; and   a hinge element attaching the cover to the container body,   an opening part provided on or attached to the container body, wherein   the opening part comprises a pushing element with a contact portion, and a lifting portion positioned, in the closed position of a cover, beneath an abutment of the cover; and wherein   the contact portion of the pushing element being arranged to be pushed away from the opening end of the container body such that the lifting portion displaces the abutment of the cover.   
     
     
         2 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein the opening part further comprises at least one fixed part attached to the container body, wherein the pushing element and lifting portion are pivotably connected to the fixed part by a hinge. 
     
     
         3 . The container according to  claim 2 , wherein the hinge is a film hinge. 
     
     
         4 . The container according to  claim 2 ,
 characterized in that   the opening part comprises a central fixed part and central pushing element and two laterally arranged lifting portions on each side of the fixed part, respectively.   
     
     
         5 . The container according to  claim 2 ,
 characterized in that   the opening part comprises two laterally arranged fixed parts to which the pushing element is pivotably attached, the lifting portion being arranged between the fixed parts.   
     
     
         6 . The container according to  claim 2 , further comprising at least one clearance between the at least one lifting portion and the at least one fixed part, the clearance extending towards a pivot axis of the hinge. 
     
     
         7 . The container according to  claim 1 , further comprising a gap between the container body and the lifting portion. 
     
     
         8 . The container according to  claim 1 ,
 characterized in that   the container body and the cover are made of different materials.   
     
     
         9 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein the container body, the cover, the hinge element and the opening part are made in one piece. 
     
     
         10 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein the cover is detachably connected to the container body by a first connecting element integral with the container body and a second connecting element integral with the hinge element. 
     
     
         11 . The container according to  claim 1 , further comprising a locking element for holding the cover in the closed position. 
     
     
         12 . The container according to  claim 11 , wherein container is configured such that the hinge element is provided with a self-opening cap mechanism such that, when the locking element is released, the cover automatically opens. 
     
     
         13 . The container according to  claim 1 ,
 characterized in that   the cover comprises a top wall and a sealing skirt which in the closed position of the cover is in contact to an inner wall surface of the container body near its opening end, wherein the sealing skirt is elastically deformable and having has an outwardly facing sealing portion.   
     
     
         14 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein the cover further comprises an outer rim which, in the closed position of the cover, is positioned at least partially around an outer wall surface of the container body near the opening end. 
     
     
         15 . The container according to  claim 14 ,
 characterized in that   the abutment is attached to the outer rim of the cover.   
     
     
         16 . The container according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one reinforcement rib integrally formed with the pushing element and/or lifting portion. 
     
     
         17 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein the container is configured such that, when the contact portion is pushed away from the opening end of the container body and thereby rotated, the lifting portion displaces the abutment of the cover, wherein the cover is rotated in a direction opposite to a direction in which the contact portion is rotated. 
     
     
         18 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein the pushing element and the lifting portion are rotatable around an axis of rotation between the pushing element and the lifting portion, and the cover and the container body are pivotably connected so as to be rotatable around a pivot axis of the hinge element, wherein a direction of rotation around the axis of rotation between the pushing element and the lifting portion is opposite to a direction of rotation around the pivot axis of the hinge element. 
     
     
         19 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein an axis of rotation between the container body and the cover, and an axis of rotation between the pushing element and the lifting portion are parallel to each other. 
     
     
         20 . A method for opening a container according to  claim 1 , comprising the steps:
 bringing the closed container into a position such that the opening faces are in an upwards direction, and   pressing onto the contact portion of the pushing element in a downwards direction to pivot the opening part such that the lifting portion engages the abutment of the cover and pushes it upwards into an open position.