Patent Application
20090139955
The present invention relates to containers, and particularly to containers for supplying beverages to consumers. The invention has particular utility for the storage and supply of carbonated and other sparkling drinks, but is also suitable for use with non-carbonated drinks and other types of beverage or other materials.
A well known drink container comprises a glass bottle with a crown cap formed of metal. The cap is pressed over a lip around the opening of the bottle and held in place by being crimped beneath the lip. Whilst very successful, this form of closure has the disadvantage that it requires a tool, e.g. a bottle opener, to prize the cap off the bottle.
Other well know forms of container comprise a plastic bottle with a plastic screw cap. In many cases, these caps can be installed by pressing onto the bottle (rather than being screwed on) but their removal requires the cap to be unscrewed, often requiring rotation of the cap through 360 degrees or more. This type of closure also requires the provision of thread forms on the exterior of the bottle neck.
The present invention seeks to provide an alternative to this prior art.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a container comprising a container body with an opening defining an axis passing therethrough and a cap having an upper portion and a skirt portion depending therefrom for closing the opening, the container body having an outwardly projecting lip around the opening, the cap having a plurality of spaced apart inwardly projecting members around an inner circumference of the skirt portion and the lip having a plurality of spaced apart recesses in a lower part thereof for receiving said members when the cap is press fitted to the container, the cap being arranged such that the circumference thereof is distorted into a substantially polygonal shape as portions thereof carrying said members are flexed outwards when the cap is initially pressed over the lip until the members snap fit into respective recesses in the lip, the members and recesses being shaped such that subsequent rotation of the cap relative to the container body tightens the cap against the lip.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a container comprising a container body with an opening defining an axis passing therethrough and a cap having an upper portion and a skirt portion depending therefrom for closing the opening, the container body having an outwardly projecting lip around the opening, the cap having a plurality of spaced apart inwardly projecting members around an inner circumference of the skirt portion and the lip having a plurality of spaced apart recesses in a lower part thereof for receiving said members when the cap is press fitted to the container body, the cap and recesses being shaped such that upon subsequent rotation of the cap relative to the container body in a loosening direction the circumference of the skirt portion is flexed into a substantially polygonal shape as the members are driven out of the respective recesses onto an external surface of the lip until the cap is free to be moved to an open position.
According to other aspects of the invention there is provided a container body for use in providing such a container and a cap for use in providing such a container.
One of the aims of the invention is to provide a container which has the aesthetics of a crown cap and the convenience of a screw cap.
Another aim is to provide a plastics cap which uses less material and hence is lighter than a conventional plastics screw cap.
Preferred or optional features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the subsidiary claims of the specification.
The invention will now be further described, merely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The container body 1 has an externally projecting lip 4 around the opening 3. A plurality (four in the illustrated embodiment) of spaced apart recesses 5 are provided in a lower part of the lip 4. Each of these recesses 5 is defined by an upper surface 5A and two end surfaces 5B and 5C. The upper part 4A of the lip 4 has a smooth, curved profile such that its external diameter decreases at position towards an upper surface 4B of the lip 4.
The cap 2 comprises an upper portion 6 which a substantially circular skirt portion 7 depending therefrom. A plurality (four in the illustrated embodiment) of spaced apart inwardly projecting members 8 (see
In order to install the cap 2 onto the container body 1, it is pressed onto the lip 4 so that the members 8 engage the upper surface 4B or curved surface 4A thereof. As the cap 2 is pressed downwards, the members 8 slide over the curved surface 4A and are thus driven radially outwards to ride over this surface until they reach the lower part of the lip and snap-fit into the respective recesses 5.
As the members 8 are forced radially outwards, the cap 2 is distorted into a substantially polygonal shape (a four-sided shape with rounded corners in the illustrated embodiment). This is possible due to the length of the circumferential spaces between adjacent members 8 and the resilient nature of the skirt portion 7. The inner surface of the skirt portion 7 in the areas between the members 8 is inclined outwardly towards the open end of the cap 2 so that the diameter of the opening in the cap increases towards the open end thereof. This also reduces the wall thickness of the skirt portion 7 towards the open end of the cap 2 so increasing the resilient flexibility of the cap in this region. Inclination of the inner surface also helps ensure a snug fit between the inner surface of the skirt portion 7 and the inwardly tapering external surface of the upper part 4A of the lip when the cap 2 has been fitted to the container body 1.
As indicated, the spacing between the members 8 helps the skirt portion 7 of the cap to be capable of being flexed into a polygonal shape. Preferably, the length of each member 8 in the circumferential direction is less than the circumferential spacing between adjacent members. In the embodiment illustrated, the cap has an internal diameter of around 28 mm, each member 8 has a circumferential length of around 7-8 mm (at their largest dimension) and the circumferential spacing between adjacent members is around 13-14 mm. The depth of the skirt portion 7 (from the upper portion 6 to the open end of the cap) is typically 5-6 mm (compared to around 10 mm for a conventional 28 mm diameter screw cap).
Each of the members 8 has an upper surface 8A, a lower surface 8B, end surfaces 8C and 8D and an inwardly facing surface 8E. The lower surface 8B is inclined upwardly in a radial direction, i.e. it slopes upwardly towards the axis of the cap, so that when the lid is pressed onto the container body the lower surface 8B engages the curved surface 4A of the lip whereby the members 8 are pushed radially outwards as they ride over the surface 4A towards the lower portion of the lip 4. In the circumferential direction, the lower surface 8B is substantially horizontal.
As the cap 2 is pushed onto the container body 1, the members 8 are able to ride over the external surface of the lip 4 as the skirt portion is flexed into a substantially polygonal shape until they reach the recesses 5. The members 8 then snap-fit into the recesses 5 as the resilience of skirt portion 7 brings it back to a substantially circular shape and the members 8 move radially inwards beneath the upper surfaces 5A of the recesses 5.
The upper surface 8A of the members are then in engagement with the upper surfaces 5A of the recesses. As shown in
The upper surfaces 8A of the members 8B are substantially horizontal in the radial direction but are inclined in the circumferential direction to add to the above tightening.
The end surfaces 5B of the recesses 5 provide a stop to prevent the cap 2 being over-tightened. Engagement of the end surface 8D of each projection with the end surface 5B of the respective recess prevents further movement of the cap 2 in the tightening direction relative to the container body 1. The end surfaces 8D and 5B are both substantially vertical and both extend substantially radially towards the axis A.
To release the cap 2 it is rotated in the loosening direction (anticlockwise when viewed from above in the illustrated embodiment) relative to the container body. Initially, this moves each member 8 along the respective recesses from the end 5B towards the end 5C. Due to the inclination of the upper surface 5A of the recess and/or of the upper surface 8A of the member 8, this permits the cap to move at least a short distance (e.g. 1-2 mm) in the direction of axis A away from the container body 2. This releases the seal between the cap 2 and the container body and permits venting of the container body whereby excess pressure therein (for instance due to a carbonated beverage) may be released. The cap 2 is, however, still held captive on the container body 1 by the engagement of the members 8 in the recesses 5 so the cap 2 cannot fly off the container body 1 as this pressure is released.
Upon further rotation of the cap 2 in the loosening direction, the end surface 8C of each member engages the end surface 5C of the respective recess. These surfaces are both substantially vertical but are inclined so that as the cap 2 is rotated, the members 8 ride up the end surfaces 5C whereby the members 8 are driven radially outwards (resulting in the skirt portion 7 again becoming substantially polygonal in shape) until they reach the external surface of the lip 4 in the region 4C between adjacent recesses 5.
As mentioned above, the external surface of the lip 4 is inclined so that the diameter of the lip 4 reduces towards the open end of the container body 1. Due to its resilient nature, the skirt portion 7 of the cap tries to revert to a substantially circular shape so there is a tendency for the members 5 to slide upwards over the external surface of the lip 4 so they can move radially inwards in order for the skirt portion 7 to assume a more circular shape. The cap 2 thus tends to ride up the lip 4 so it moves further in the direction of axis A away from the container body 1. This also helps reduce the risk that the members 8 inadvertently slip back (clockwise) to re-engage the recess 5 or slip forwards (anticlockwise) to engage the next recess 5.
If it is desired to re-fit the cap 2 to the container body 1, this can be done by pressing it back over the lip 4 (by means of a downward force along the axis A) and clockwise rotation (if it is desired to tighten it onto the lip).
From the above description, it will be appreciated that each member 8 thus has a lower surface 8B which is inclined upwardly in a radial direction but is substantially horizontal in a circumferential direction, an upper surface 8A which is substantially horizontal in a radial direction but is inclined in a circumferential direction and two end surfaces 8C, 8D one of which is laterally inclined in a radial direction and both of which are substantially vertical in an axial direction. These four surfaces define the perimeter of an inwardly facing surface 8E which, as shown in
The cap 12 is similar to the cap 2 but has a tamper band 10 depending from the skirt portion 17 thereof. The tamper band 10 is connected to the skirt portion 17 by a plurality (sixteen in the illustrated example) of small, friable bridges 10A and a plurality (four in the illustrated example) of tether bands 10B. A plurality (four in the illustrated example) of projections 10C project radially inwards from the inner surface of the tamper band 10.
When the cap 12 is pressed onto the container body 11 in the direction D1 shown in
The lower surfaces 14D of the lip 14 are inclined in the circumferential direction so that when the cap 12 is rotated in the direction D3 (the loosening direction) as shown in
The projections 10C are positioned on the band 10 so that once the members 18 have moved along the recesses 15 to engage the end surfaces 15C thereof and ride up these onto the external surface of lip 14 (flexing the skirt portion 27 into a substantially polygonal shape), the projections 10C have moved along the lower surfaces 14D to the adjacent recess 15. The cap 12 is then free to be removed in the direction D5 (with the tamper band 10 connected thereto by the tether bands 10B) as shown in
The cap 22 is similar to the cap 2 but has a tamper band 20 depending from the skirt portion 27 thereof. The tamper band 20 is connected to the skirt portion 27 by a plurality (about twenty four in the illustrated example) of small, friable bridges 20A and a single tether band 20B. A lower portion 20D of the tamper band is folded inwards (as illustrated by arrow B in
When the cap 22 is pressed onto the container body 21 in the direction D1 shown in
When the cap 22 is rotated in the loosening direction, the members 28 ride up the end surfaces 25C of the recesses 25 (flexing the skirt portion 27 into a substantially polygonal shape) so the upper portion 26 and skirt portion 27 are able to move upwards as in the first embodiment but the tamper band 20 is prevented from doing so by the engagement of the edge 20E of portion 20D under the lower surfaces 24D of the lip 24. This causes rupture of the friable bridges 20A although the tamper band 20 remain connected to the remainder of the cap 22 by the tether band 20B. The tamper band 20 is then free to slide down the external surface of the container body 21 in the direction D6 shown in
A circular ridge 21A is provided around the neck of container body 21 and the tamper band 20 can be pushed down over this so the edge 20E of the upstanding portion 20D passes over the ridge 21A and is then trapped beneath it so that the tamper band is held in this position (as shown in
The cap 32 is similar to the cap 2 but has a tamper band 30 depending from the skirt portion 37 thereof. The tamper band 30 is connected to the skirt portion 37 by a plurality (eight in the illustrated example) of small, friable bridges 30A and a plurality (four in the illustrated example) of tether bands 30B. A plurality (eight in the illustrated example) of projections 30C project radially inwards from the inner surface of the tamper band 30.
The container body 31 is similar to that of the first embodiment but in addition has a plurality (four in the illustrated example) of projections 31A which project radially outward from the exterior wall of the body 31 at a position below and spaced from the outwardly projecting lip 34 (see
When the cap 32 is pressed onto the container body 31, the skirt portion 37 is flexed into a substantially polygonal shape as inwardly projecting members 38 (not shown) ride over the lip 34 until they engage recesses 35 as in the first embodiment. In addition, the projections 30C ride over the lip 34 when the cap 32 is pressed onto the container body 31 and, once the cap 32 has been rotated in the tightening direction, the projections 30C are located at the level of the projection 31A referred to above.
When the cap 32 is rotated in the loosening direction, the projections 30A on the cap 32 engage the projections 31A on the container body 31 so as to halt rotation of the tamper band 30 relative to the container body 31. Further rotation of the cap 32 in the loosening direction thus causes rupture of the friable bridges 30A as well as moving members 38 (not shown) of the cap 32 out of the recesses 35 in the lip 34 of the container body 31. The tether bands 30B are concertinered during this relative rotation as illustrated in
The cap 42 is similar to the cap 2 but has a tamper band 40 depending from the skirt portion 47 thereof. The tamper band 20 is connected to the skirt portion 27 by a plurality (eight in the illustrated example) of small, friable bridges 40A. A plurality (four in the illustrated example) of projections 40C project radially inwards from the inner surface of the tamper band 40.
The container body 41 is similar to that of the first embodiment but in addition has a plurality (two in the illustrated example) of projections 41A which project radially outward from the exterior wall of the body 41 at positions below and spaced from the outwardly projecting lip 44 (see
When the cap 42 is pressed on the container body 41, the skirt portion 47 is flexed into a substantially polygonal shape as inwardly projecting members 48 (now shown) ride over the lip 44 until they engage recesses 45 as in the first embodiment. In addition, the projections 40C ride over the lip 44 when the cap 42 is pressed onto the container body 41 and, once the cap 42 has been rotated in the tightening direction, the projections 40C are located at the level of the projections 41A referred to above.
When the cap 42 is rotated in the loosening direction, the projections 40C on the cap 42 engage the projections 41A on the container body 41 so as to halt rotation of the tamper band 40 relative to the container body 41. Further rotation of the cap 42 in the loosening direction thus causes rupture of the friable bridges 40A as well as moving members 48 (not shown) of the cap 42 out of the recesses 45 in the lip 44 of the container body 41. The cap 42 is then free to be removed from the container body 41.
The tamper band 40 is separated from the cap 42 upon rupture of the friable bridges 40A and drops down the neck of the container 41 as shown in
In each of the embodiments described, the cap may be formed of a plastics material, e.g. by injection moulding. The container body may also be formed of a plastics material, e.g. by injection moulding and blow moulding. The container body may, however, also be made of glass.
The diameter of the opening of the container body preferably lies in the range 25-30 mm, e.g. as typically used for bottles. However, the invention may also be used on containers with other size openings, including diameters up to 50 mm and wide mouth openings (which typically have a diameter in the range 50-80 mm).
In the embodiments described, the cap is provided with four internally projecting members for engaging four recesses in the lip of the container body. Other embodiments may use more or less members and recesses. Preferred embodiments have three, four or five members and recesses. Four members (and recesses) may, for example, be used for a container opening with a diameter in the range 25-35 mm, five for a container with an opening in the range 35-45 mm and six for an opening in the range 45-55 mm. More members (and recesses) may be used for a given diameter but the greater the number the less flexible the skirt of the cap will be (although, with a large number of members each need project inwards by a smaller distance).
It will be appreciated that the container employs two separate camming actions to distort the skirt portion of the cap into a substantially polygonal shape, one when the cap is fitted to the container body and the other when the cap is removed therefrom. In the first case, the inwardly projecting members on the cap are forced radially outwards over the lip as the cap is press-fitted to the container body. In the second case, the members are forced radially outwards by ramps at the ends of recesses in the lip as the cap is rotated relative to the container body.
Containers having the features described above can thus be press-fitted to a container body and can be opened by a relatively small rotational movement (depending on the number of projecting members used). With four members, the cap need be rotated less than 90 degrees to release it from the container body. In addition, no external threads need be provided on the neck of the container body. The neck may therefore have a smooth aesthetically pleasing appearance, e.g. as on a conventional glass bottle neck.
The cap, which is preferably formed of a plastic material, can thus be press-fitted to the container, the container need not have thread portions on the exterior of the neck and the cap can be removed by a relatively small rotational movement. Optionally, the cap may be arranged so it can be re-fitted by a user. The cap thus combines the advantages of a conventional crown closure and a conventional screw-threaded cap and bottle neck. It also uses significantly less material than a conventional plastic screw cap so saves on material cost and weight.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0523332.5 | Nov 2005 | GB | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/GB06/04255 | 11/16/2006 | WO | 00 | 8/18/2008 |
