The present invention relates to an aseptic cap for containers with evidence of first opening.
Closing caps that are relatively simplified may be positioned on containers or recipients for beverages and other liquid products, such as drinks with vitamin supplements, water with additives in general, juices, tea. These caps, called “flip top”, generally essentially comprise a protective cover and an internal central pouring element.
The protective cover extends into a base collar which is positioned on the threaded part of the mouth of the container and is produced in a single piece, whereas the pouring element is arranged inside the cap, and kept blocked therein, ready to be also positioned with respect to the mouth of the container.
In general, these closure caps of a container must be constructed in such a way that, when placed on a container filled with their contents, they must not allow any opening or tampering of their contents.
They must, in fact, be such that, once opened for the first time, they can no longer be closed so as to appear to be untouched and never used before. All this is to ensure that the internal product is that inserted by the filling company and absolutely original. Furthermore, they must also be relatively simple to open, favoring the use of the beverage by the consumer.
Furthermore, as already mentioned, it must be possible to verify with extreme immediacy and simplicity, by observing the container provided with this kind of cap, that said container is intact, i.e. that a first opening has not already been effected, providing ample reassurance to the consumer of the product.
These problems and requests first of all create the necessity of providing a cap whose protective cover can be positioned very easily on the mouth of the container, once filled, and at the same time can also guarantee the prevention of opening and subsequent reclosing which does not show that the first opening has been effected. Once the cap has been positioned, it should not be possible to open it for any reason whatsoever without said opening being revealed and evident. In short, the cap must have an irreversible opening.
Secondly, this type of cap must be able to be positioned on the container with an optimal seal in its closed position when the container that receives it and on which it is positioned is ready for sale.
There are many examples of these caps to be positioned on a screw neck of a container, but most of them have great construction complexity and a certain number of constituent parts which make them complex. The presence of more than two parts consequently leads to assembly costs and the need for having more molds available with an increase in costs.
The objective of the present invention is therefore to find an adequate and different solution to the various problems revealed and indicated above.
A further objective of the invention is to provide a cap which is capable of guaranteeing evidence of any type of tampering with respect to its positioning in the filling phase with the original contents.
Yet another objective of the invention is to provide an aseptic cap for containers with evidence of first opening, which is simple and inexpensive and particularly simple to use and operate.
The above-mentioned objectives are achieved by an aseptic cap for containers with evidence of first opening produced as described hereinafter.
The structural and functional characteristics of the present invention and its advantages with respect to the known art will become even more evident from the following description, referring to the attached schematic drawings, which show an embodiment example of the invention itself.
In the drawings:
With general reference to the figures, these show by way of non-limiting example, an embodiment of an aseptic cap for containers with evidence of first opening, indicated as a whole with 11.
The aseptic cap 11 is arranged for closing a container, in particular on a screw neck (not shown), and comprises an external protective cover 12 and an internal pouring element 13. This type of cap, as already mentioned, is of the kind known as “flip top”.
The protective cover 12 is produced in a single piece, for example by molding, and completely envelops the internal pouring element 13.
More specifically, the cover 12 is substantially in the form of an inverted cup and consists of an upper part 14 and a lower part 16 connected by means of a series of frangible bridges 17, produced in correspondence with facing edges of the upper part 14 and the lower part 16 of the cover 12.
The upper part 14 is also articulately connected to the lower part 16. In the example, the upper part 14 is shaped like an inverted bowl and is connected to the lower part 16 in a perimetric section facing the two parts 14, 16 through a hinge arrangement 15. The hinge arrangement 15 can consist, for example, of one or more adjacent bridges. The lower part 16 in the example is cylindrical in shape and is internally provided with a threading 37, at least in a section of the internal surface. Said threading 37 is provided for coupling with a complementary threading which is provided on the external part of the mouth of a container or recipient (not shown) on which the aseptic cap 11 is arranged.
The lower cylindrical part 16 of the cover 12, at its lower free end, provides a ring 18, connected to it by means of a series of frangible bridges 19. Said ring 18, along its internal diameter, provides a plurality of teeth 20 having a stable positioning on a perimetric cord protruding radially towards the outside of the mouth of the container or recipient (not shown) on which the aseptic cap 11, according to the present invention, is arranged.
The inner pouring element 13 is a cylindrical element composed of two sections having different diameters separated by a step: a lower section with a larger diameter 21 and an upper section with a smaller diameter 22. The two sections 21, 22 are connected by a central annular extension 23 arranged on a plane perpendicular to an axis X of the two sections 21, 22 of the cylindrical element in a radial direction in the cylindrical element to form said step.
The central annular extension 23 is arranged protruding from the lower cylindrical part 16 of the cover 12 and is at least partially inserted in the upper part 14 of the cover 12. In this way the series of frangible bridges 17, produced in correspondence with the two facing edges of the upper part 14 and lower part 16 of the cover 12, are arranged externally with respect to the lower section having a larger diameter 21 of the cylindrical element which forms the pouring element 13.
A lower end of the lower section 21 with a larger diameter has an annular flange 24 protruding radially outwardly with respect to said section 21. Said flange 24 is abutted inside the lower part 15 of the cover 12 before the internal threading 37 beneath an annular undercut 241 formed at the end of the threading 37. Furthermore, the pouring element 13 extends, almost adjacent and concentric inside the annular flange 24, into a smaller cylindrical terminal portion 25 suitable for being inserted inside the mouth of the container or recipient on which the aseptic cap 11 is arranged.
This cylindrical terminal portion 25 is externally provided with an annular molding 26, protruding radially outwardly, which causes the forced positioning of the cap 11 inside the mouth of the container. This positioning is assisted by an edge 27 produced in an intermediate portion of the cover 12. This edge 27 is annular and is perpendicular to the axis X and receives the annular flange 24 of the pouring element 13 in abutment. Said annular edge 27 forms a step in an intermediate area of the cover 12 where the pouring element 13 is permanently housed, as its annular flange 24 is positioned there in abutment. The positioning of the pouring element 13 is thus effected against the internal wall of the lower part 16 of the cover 12 where its internal threading 37 ends.
At the upper end of the pouring element 13 in correspondence with the end of the upper section 22 having a smaller diameter, an annular flap 28 is provided facing inwardly. A first tubular extension 29 is positioned inside and against said annular flap 28 which forms part of and extends downwardly from an upper wall 30 of the cover 12. A second tubular extension 31, having a larger diameter than the first extension 29, extends from the upper part 30 of the cover 12, coaxial with said first tubular extension 29 and also facing the same direction as the first tubular extension 29. The two tubular extensions 29 and 31 are positioned inside and astride of the upper end of the pouring element 13, even if it does not provide for said annular flap 28 facing inwardly, and they completely seal a passage 32 inside the pouring element 13 produced for discharging the contents of the container or recipient on which the aseptic cap 11 is arranged.
As previously described, the upper part 14 of the cover 12 provides the upper wall 30 and a shaped side jacket which comprises the above-mentioned hinge arrangement 15 for connection to the lower cylindrical part 16. A push-button 33 is positioned in an area opposite the hinge arrangement 15, which can be pressed towards the inside of the cap.
When pressed, the push-button 33 causes the deformation (or even breakage) of a film 34 of the cover arranged above the push-button 33 as far as the upper wall 30 of the cover. This film 34 insulates the pouring element 13 from the outside and is sealed against the outer part of the pouring element 13. The provision of the film 34 creates a complete seal with respect to the washing liquid and rinsing water, when the cap is produced and intact and as described in more detail hereunder.
The arrangement of the two parts 14 and 16 is different when a first opening of the cap 11 has been effected with rotation of the upper part 14 with respect to the lower part 16 around the hinge arrangement 15, consisting of various bridges.
In order to do this, the user acts on an opening flap 36, protruding in an upper area of the upper part 14 of the cover, for example close to the push-button 33.
This thrust on the opening flap 36 causes the breakage of the series of bridges 17 provided between the upper part 14 and the lower part 16 of the cover 12, which keep them closed facing each other. In this way, the upper part 14 of the cover 12 is rotated around the hinge arrangement 15, consisting of various bridges, with respect to the lower part 16. There is therefore free access to the pouring element 13 with the possibility of pouring the beverage contained in the container.
The following
It can also be very clearly noted how the free end of the flap 35 is abutted on the annular flange 24 of the pouring element 13, as shown, preventing any possibility of closure between the two parts of the cover 12 of the cap 11.
This alerts and warns the user, as it can thus be seen that a first opening of the cap has already been made. And consequently, for example, the contents of the container may have been replaced or in any case the original contents may have tampered.
The cap can therefore no longer be reclosed even by forcing and is therefore always open.
As has been seen, the functioning of this type of cap according to the invention is extremely simple and immediate.
It should be pointed out that the cap of the present invention, when in a closed position, thanks to its characteristics, creates a perfect sealing assembly, guaranteeing the integrity of the products especially when the filling phase is made under aseptic conditions in specific plants. Its simple structure allows easy control of the correct implementation of the molding and assembly phases.
In particular, it has been said that the protective cover 12 of the present “flip top” cap is molded in a single piece and completely envelops the inner pouring element 13 on which it is sealed. It has also been said, in fact, that the construction of the single-piece cap 12 seal-envelops the underlying pouring element 13.
This arrangement can be very clearly seen on observing the figures.
It has been said, in fact, that the above-mentioned internal film 34 is provided above the push-button 33, which also forms part of the cover when produced in a single piece which also envelops the pouring element 13 in that point, causing inaccessibility to the same pouring element 13 on the part of washing and sterilization liquid with the cap as molded.
This inaccessibility to the pouring element 13 is also achieved by the presence of the first tubular extension 29 and the second tubular extension 31, having a larger diameter than the first extension 29, which are inserted in the passage 32 provided in the pouring element 13, closing it with a perfect seal with respect to the outside.
Furthermore, the two facing edges of the upper part 14 and lower part 16 of the cover 12 which are arranged outside the lower section having a larger diameter 21 of the pouring element 13 also prevent access to the washing liquid.
In this way, a chamber 50 inside the cover is created on the cap as produced and not opened, which makes the same pouring element 13 inaccessible on the part of washing and sterilizing liquid with the cap as molded.
Furthermore, the pouring element 13, when assembled inside the cover 12, creates a perfect seal with respect to the container on which the cap 11 is arranged. The provision of the annular flange 24, in fact, protruding radially outwardly with respect to the lower section 21 having a larger diameter of the pouring element 13 and also that of the annular undercut 241 formed inside the cover at the end of the threading 37 also creates an optimal seal.
All of this allows the cap to be washed when its two parts have been mounted with a suitable washing liquid, such as hydrogen peroxide vapor, making it sterile and above all preventing said washing liquid from being deposited in its interior.
Consequently, on the one hand the cap is sterile, and on the other, no residues of washing liquid are deposited in the cap which would then pollute the contents with which the container or recipient on which said cap must be positioned, is filled.
It has thus been seen that a cap according to the present invention achieves the objectives previously indicated.
The cap is particularly simple in structure and does not require complicated arrangements of parts, as it is composed of only two parts, i.e. cover and pouring element, which can be easily placed on the mouth of the container or recipient.
Thanks to the arrangement of the flaps or elements that prevent reclosure, said cap guarantees evidence of first opening.
The objective mentioned in the preamble of the description has thus been achieved.
The protection scope of the present invention is defined by the enclosed claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
102019000006724 | May 2019 | IT | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
5265777 | Weinstein | Nov 1993 | A |
6039218 | Beck | Mar 2000 | A |
6269986 | Gross | Aug 2001 | B1 |
20050269282 | Luch | Dec 2005 | A1 |
20200354118 | Ferrari | Nov 2020 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
1582475 | Oct 2005 | EP |
2272771 | Jan 2011 | EP |
2842177 | Jan 2004 | FR |
2068913 | Aug 1981 | GB |
Entry |
---|
Italian Patent and Trademark Office, Search Report, dated Feb. 12, 2020 (Relevant portions are in English). |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20200354118 A1 | Nov 2020 | US |