The invention relates to a closure, especially a closure for packages for liquids such as beverages. In particular the invention relates to a closure for neck finishes of containers for carbonated liquids such as soft drinks, but is well adapted to seal other containers such as glass or PET containers with contents at above or below atmospheric pressure or having gaseous components or requiring a hermetic seal.
Screw cap closures are well known from the prior art and are a subject of continuous optimization. One attempt is to reduce the weight of the closure because the major share of the price is caused by the material used to make the closure. Another attempt is to guarantee that during opening of the closure the seal breaks in the right sequence with respect to breaking of the bridges, which are arranged between the tamper band and the shell of the closure.
EP0076778 of Albert Obrist AG was filed in 1982 and is directed to a closure cap made of plastics material, which has a circular outer sealing lip having a thickness which continuously decreases versus its free end. The outer sealing lip is arranged in the region of the joint between an outer vertical skirt and a disc like top deck and points obliquely inwards. At its smallest diameter, the sealing lip has a rounded sealing portion. Below the sealing portion, the sealing lip is widened outwards in the manner of a funnel to receive a container opening. However, due to the obliged arrangement of the sealing lip, the sealing lip often tends to be distorted during application, especially crooked application onto a neck of a container. A further disadvantage consists in that, due to the inclined arrangement, this seal is relatively rigid and therefore not very good in adjusting in lateral direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,845 was filed in 1984 and assigned to Albert Obrist AG. U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,845 is directed to a screw-cap for closing a container opening. The cap has a sealing lip which is affixed to the cap top. The inner side-wall of the outer sealing lip has a diameter which is greater than the outer diameter of the container outer wall. A clamping device, which can be designed as an inner seal, creates a contraction of the cap top when the screw cap is screwed onto the container due to deformation of the outer shell of the closure, by which means the sealing lip shall be pressed against the container mouth. In this manner the sealing lip is only pressed radially against the container mouth during the course of the screwing-on process. Thereby, overstretching and damage to the material of the sealing lip shall be prevented. In an engaged position the sealing lip engages around the upper outer rim of the neck of a container opening. One disadvantage is that the described deformation of the closure is related to extensive operating forces. A further disadvantage consists in that the outer shell tends to break due to extensive stress and deformation (stress cracking), which results in complete failure of the closure and loss of the product.
WO03011699 filed in 2002 by Bericap is directed to a closure cap comprising an internal sealing skirt, which is substantially truncated and converges from the sealing skirt base towards the free end of the sealing skirt. The inside of the sealing skirt is designed to cooperate with the outside of the neck. The internal diameter of the sealing skirt towards its free end portion is designed smaller than the external diameter of the neck. As described, the closure can comprise an annular v-notch designed to improve attachment of a liner to the rim of the neck or contact between the liner and the rim.
From the same inventor several patent applications are known in the field of the invention, which are primarily directed to sealing technology and/or closures. Examples are WO2012095501, WO2006117024, WO06024550, WO06024656, WO06097151, WO03022701, WO0056615, WO0056616, WO9903746, WO9402371 WO8912584, U.S. Pat. No. 6,874,648 and U.S. D 613,162.
Further patent publications showing several sealing technologies and/or closures are e.g. JP57133851, JP58073551, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,489,845, 6,874,648, JP9150846, JP3872546, JP4392873, JP2000109105, JP4456681, U.S. Pat. No. 7,014,055, WO0187725, U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,161, JP4533597, WO05039996, JP4413071, U.S. Pat. No. 7,575,121, JP2007145341 or U.S. Pat. No. 7,607,547.
It is an object of the invention to provide a closure having an improved functionality during opening. It is a further aspect of the invention to provide a closure which allows to adjust the sequence of breaking of the seal and breaking of the tamper evidence of the closure.
The closure is foreseen to be used with standardized neck finishes of containers and the like as known from prior art. The standardized neck finishes comprise an outer peripheral surface with an external thread. The outer peripheral surface blends by an edge surface into an annular top surface, which forms the upper end of the container when it is standing upright. Between the annular top surface and the external thread an outer free surface extends over a length of approximately 1 mm to 3 mm of the neck, which is not covered by the thread and suitable for sealing purposes. The neck of the container comprises an in general cylindrical, inner peripheral surface adjacent to the annular top surface. Furthermore the neck finish comprises a circumferential bead protruding outwardly in a radial direction. The circumferential bead is arranged at a certain distance from the annular top surface below the external thread. It is foreseen to interact with and provide hold for a tamper band of a closure applied thereon.
A closure according to the invention comprises a base with a top deck and a therewith adjacent skirt with an internal thread or similar retaining means suitable to be engaged with the external thread of a neck finish as described above. The closure further comprises a tamper band attached to a lower free end of the outer skirt and integrally attached thereto by frangible bridges or similar means such as at least one thin web of material.
In a preferred variation the closure is having a base with a top deck and a therewith adjacent skirt extending in an axial direction. The skirt is comprising an internal thread and/or other means to attach the closure to a neck finish, e.g. of a container or a bottle. The closure comprises on the inside a sealing arrangement with an inner seal extending in the axial direction from the top deck. The inner seal is comprising an inner sealing surface arranged radially inward with respect to an outer seal. The inner sealing surface is arranged in a (radially) outward direction and foreseen to interact with the neck finish when in a mounted position on the neck finish from the inside. The inner seal is therefore foreseen to reach into the opening of the neck finish. The outer seal is arranged concentric and radially outward to and spaced apart from the inner seal. In its cross-section it comprises a base section extending in the axial direction from the top deck and merges into an end section, which is bend inwardly with respect to the course of the base section in the direction of the inner seal. The end section terminates in a sealing surface pointing in an inward direction. Good results can be achieved when the cross-section of the outer seal is defined by an inner concave side wall which merges into the sealing surface. Preferably the thickness of the outer seal basically remains constant and/or constantly decreases in the direction of the outer sealing surface. To obtain a smooth transition, the base section of the outer seal can blend by an inner transition region into the top deck and by an outer transition region into the top deck and/or the skirt. Good results can be achieved when the average radius of the inner transition region is larger than the average radius of the outer transition region. The sealing arrangement comprises a location surface arranged between the outer seal and the inner seal acting as a stop between the neck finish and the closure when applied to the neck finish. In a preferred variation, the outer sealing surface of the outer seal is in the axial direction spaced a first distance apart from the location surface and the inner sealing surface of the inner seal in the axial direction is spaced a second distance part from the location surface, wherein the second distance is normally larger than the first distance. In that it is possible to determine which seal breaks first when unscrewing the closure from the neck finish. Furthermore by proper adjustment of the first and the second distance with respect to the location surface in combination with the distance between the location surface and the tamper band which interacts with the thereto related circumferential of the neck finish as mentioned above, it becomes possible to meet the technical requirements demanded by the industry. In a preferred variation the annular base of the inner seal is supported by ribs from the inside. Good results can be achieved when the extension of the ribs in the axial direction with respect to the location surface (hereinafter referred to as third distance) is chosen such that the third distance is larger than the first distance but smaller than the second distance. The ribs on the inside face of the plug seal help to prevent the plug seal from relaxing which would result in product leak. The closure offers the possibility to be adjusted, such that the bridges between the tamper band and the skirt break before the seal releases. Due to the bridges, the inner seal can be made longer compared to the outside seal. In a preferred variation which offers superior venting capabilities the internal thread arranged in the skirt of the closure comprises several rows of thread segments spaced apart in circumferential direction by channels extending in the axial direction along an inner side wall of the skirt. In combination with the above the described sealing arrangement, the channels in the axial direction preferably end at a fourth distance apart from the location surface, wherein the fourth distance is less than the second distance.
Superior performance can be achieved when the above mentioned sealing arrangement is combined with a tamper band which is interconnected to the skirt by at least one frangible element such as a bridge or a thin web of material wherein the tamper band comprises a base section and a foldable section interconnected to the base section by a hinge and foldable between an unfolded and a folded position. The foldable section may comprise retainer beads arranged distributed along the foldable section and extending from a free end of the foldable section. In the mounted position the retainer beads are foreseen to interact with an undercut of the neck finish, e.g. a circumferential bead protruding outwardly from the neck finish. Tamper band may comprise at least one drainage hole arranged adjacent to the hinge. In the folded position extensions may be are arranged between the foldable section and the base section of the tamper band supporting the foldable section from the inside. If appropriate the hinge interconnecting the base section and the foldable section of the tamper band may be arranged inside of the base section separated by a circumferential groove from a lower end of the base section.
The herein described invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which should not be considered limiting to the invention described in the appended claims. The drawings are showing:
Reference will now be made in detail to certain embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all features are shown. Indeed, embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Whenever possible, like reference numbers will be used to refer to like components or parts.
The closure 1 comprises a base 3 with a top deck 4 and a therewith adjacent skirt 5 with an internal thread 6 or similar retaining means suitable to be engaged with an external thread 7 of a neck finish 2 as shown in
The closure 1 further comprises a tamper band 8 attached to a lower free end of the outer skirt 5. In the shown variation it is integrally attached thereto by frangible bridges 9 or similar means such as a thin web of material (not shown in detail).
The closure 1 is foreseen to be used with standardized neck finishes 2 as known from prior art. An example of a standardized neck finish is shown in
As visible in the sectional view according to
When in a mounted position as schematically shown in
As visible, the wall thickness of the area of the top deck 4 arranged radially inside the inner seal 18 is in the shown embodiment at least partially thinner than the wall thickness of the top deck 4 in the area of the locating surface 28. This offers the opportunity to reduce the overall weight of the closure without negative influence on the sealing performance.
As visible in the section view according to
In a variation the closure 1 is having a base 3 with a top deck 4 and a therewith adjacent skirt 5 extending in an axial direction z. The skirt comprises an internal thread 6 foreseen to be interconnected to the external thread 7 of the neck finish 2 as schematically shown in
As visible in
In
When disengaging the closure from the neck finish by unscrewing, it comes to a point where the inner seal contact point begins to disengage with the finish. The thread rotates until the bridges break via rotation torsion. Then the closure shell separates with the tamper band. The closure will continue to disengage the inner seal contact point 43. Until product begins to leak from the neck finish 2. The ribs 31 supporting the inner seal 18 from the inside allow to hold the inner seal in place without unwanted deforming after the closure 1 has been applied to the neck finish 2.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4489845 | Aichinger et al. | Dec 1984 | A |
4807771 | Roy | Feb 1989 | A |
6021912 | Hertrampf | Feb 2000 | A |
6152316 | Niese | Nov 2000 | A |
6695161 | Kano et al. | Feb 2004 | B2 |
6874648 | Willingham et al. | Apr 2005 | B2 |
7014055 | Kano et al. | Mar 2006 | B2 |
7575121 | Ooka et al. | Aug 2009 | B2 |
7607547 | Kumata et al. | Oct 2009 | B2 |
D613162 | Druitt | Apr 2010 | S |
8066433 | Sabounjian | Nov 2011 | B2 |
8794460 | Druitt et al. | Aug 2014 | B2 |
9415909 | Druitt et al. | Aug 2016 | B2 |
9902530 | Smith et al. | Feb 2018 | B2 |
20060255002 | Takamatsu | Nov 2006 | A1 |
20130270272 | Smith | Oct 2013 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
0 076 778 | Apr 1983 | EP |
1 666 370 | Jun 2006 | EP |
57-133851 | Aug 1982 | JP |
58-73551 | May 1983 | JP |
9-150846 | Jun 1997 | JP |
2000-109105 | Apr 2000 | JP |
3872546 | Jan 2007 | JP |
2007-145341 | Jun 2007 | JP |
4392873 | Jan 2010 | JP |
4413071 | Feb 2010 | JP |
4456681 | Apr 2010 | JP |
4533597 | Sep 2010 | JP |
WO 8912584 | Dec 1989 | WO |
WO 9402371 | Feb 1994 | WO |
WO 9903746 | Jan 1999 | WO |
WO 0056615 | Sep 2000 | WO |
WO 0056616 | Sep 2000 | WO |
WO 0187725 | Nov 2001 | WO |
WO 03011699 | Feb 2003 | WO |
WO 03022701 | Mar 2003 | WO |
WO 2005039996 | May 2005 | WO |
WO 2006024550 | Mar 2006 | WO |
WO 2006024656 | Mar 2006 | WO |
WO 2006097151 | Sep 2006 | WO |
WO 2006117024 | Nov 2006 | WO |
WO 2012095501 | Jul 2012 | WO |
Entry |
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Co-pending U.S. Appl. No. 15/906,848, M. Smith et al., “CLOSURE,” filed Feb. 27, 2018. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20190071222 A1 | Mar 2019 | US |