AU476830B2

AU476830B2 - Closure cap for a container having a protruding rim opening

Info

Publication number: AU476830B2
Application number: AU53343/73A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Aichinger Reinhold Beck Dietmar
Original assignee: ALBERT OBRIST
Current assignee: ALBERT OBRIST
Priority date: 1972-03-17
Filing date: 1973-03-15
Publication date: 1976-10-07
Also published as: NL7303632A; AU5334373A; BE796892A; FR2176801A1; ZA731833B; FR2176801B1; US3872993A; GB1419276A; JPS4914279A; CA985211A; CH549510A; IT981438B; DE2312487A1

Description

53,34 3 ra BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to closures for containers

and more particularly to improvements in plastic closures for

tight-head containers, such as bottles, having a protruding

lip opening and adapted to hold pressurized beverages.

Description of the Prior Art

Containers for beverages under pressure have normally 'in the past, been sealed with metal closure caps, namely crown caps, These well-known crown caps seal up the open mouth of the

bottle neck, at the radially extending ring surface of the bottle

'reck. The well-known metal crown cap, by encircling the prov

truding lip of the bottle's neck, is joined with it in this

manner. The metal crown cap reliably seals the interior of the

container also against the increased pressure of the pasteurizing

process.

Recently, the use of plastid closure caps for bottles

containing pressurized beverages has been proposed. For example,

Swiss Patent No, 512,371 discloses a particular plastic closure

cap design for such purposes. However, even though such prior art

designs for plastic closure caps have the advantage that they are less expensive to manufacture than metal closure caps, they have a number of disadvantages which have limited their use in

commercial operations. More particularly, the plastic closure

caps of the prior art have had the following disadvantages.

In capping bottles with plastic closure caps of the prior

art, the inner core or skirt of the cap must be forced into

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53.343 3 the opening of the glass bottle container to effect

the sealing. This sealing operation creates a great

deal of pressure on the container's neck with the

result that a relatively high proportion of the glass

bottles which are capped are broken by the shattering

of the bottle neck. Another disadvantage of the prior

art plastic closure cap designs is that due to the

pressure in the bottle, the closure caps tend to pop

off which is obviously undesireable. Another related

disadvantage is that such closure caps can be

relatively easily removed by hand by persons tampering

with the bottles, which again is obviously undesireable

from a health standpoint. Furthermore, with these

prior art designs, there is no convenient way by which

it is possible to determine or detect whether a bottle

has been previously opened by an unauthorized person and*

then resealed. Also, in the case of certain prior art

designs, it is not possible or convenient to use

conventional bottle openers to open bottles capped with

such plastic closure caps. The present invention invention provides

in a closure cap of plastics material for a container

having a protruding lip opening and adapted to hold

a liquid under pressure wherein the closure cap includes

a base, a generally cylindrically-shaped inner section

adapted to fit into the container opening and a

generally cylindrically-shaped outer rim section

having an annular, flexible support lip adapted to

enclose the outer surface of the container opening

and to engage the protruding lip of the container, and

3- 476.830

3 ,343n collar disposed on a circumferential reinforcing rim section at the end the outer portion of said outer the internal of the rim opposite said base, wherein is flared radially surface of said outer rim section collar and intersects outwardly in the region of said collar to form a sharp the peripheral surface of the remote from said base edge at the end of the closure people from whereby said sharp edge will discourage closure from said trying to remove by hand said of said closure from said container and whereby removal opener will leave container by means of a bottle container has been indentations indicating that said opened. invention Other advantages of the present following description will become apparent from the accompanying drawings. taken in conjunction with the

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53.334 3 n3 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

cap FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodjiment of a closure in of the present invention with the left half cut away cross slection; view FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the left half, and a top invention of the right half. of the embodiment of the present shown in FIG. 11 of the FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment showing on the present invention shown in FIG. 1, including a it into left of the closure cap during the process of pressing insertion into a bottle's neck, and on the right, the completed the container's neck; FIG. 4 is a side view of a particularly preferred with the left embodiment of a closure cap of the present invention half cut away in cross sectiony a top view FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the left half*, and invention 'of the right half, of the embodiment of the present shown in FIG. 4; and of the FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment showing on the left present invention shown in FIG. 4, including a it into a of the'closure cap during the process of pressing insertion into the bottle's neck and on the right, the completed container's neck.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. lv3 is bowl shaped. It has The closure cap shown in outward axial a circular cap base 1, from which projects in an 2 and direction an annular, cylindrical rim or skirt section

5 476.83 0

53.343n3

radially spaced to the inside thereof; an annular cyclindrical

inner section or skirt 3.

The rim section 2 includes in the area of its open end an annular resiliently yielding support lip or projection 4,

protruding radially to the inside, as the drawings show, to

form an apex A,

On the outside, rim section 2 is reinforced by an annular, circumferential ring-shaped collar 10, as well as by equally

spaced ribs 11 extending from the cap's base.

Radially disposed inside inner section 3 is a slightly

concave curved area 6 of the cap's base i. Inner section 3 forming a support lip has a barrel-shaped

convexly curved outer contour 5. The apex B of inner section 3 is disposed at a point closer to the cap's base 1 than is the

location of apex A of support lip 4. The apex B is designed to seal tightly the inner wall 17 of the container's neck

The diameter of apex B is greater than the diameter of the inner wall 17 of the container's neck 15, The inner section 3 is designed in the form of a hollow cylinder to provide

flexibility. However, the wall between the hollow cylinder of the inner contour, and the convex outer contour, is

relatively strong and capable of exerting considerable

sealing force or pressure.

At the lower border of inner section 3, four equally- spaced ring sections 9 are disposed, and upper borders of which

are joined to the border of section 3. Between the ring sect- ions 9 are four notches 8. The ring sections are integral

with the inner section 3.

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53.334 3 n3

In the left half of FIG, 3 the closure cap is shown in an

intermediate position while being pressed into the container' s

neck 15. Due to the axial dispostion of apex A, of support lip

4,

4 76.830G

&-39,34 3 ns. and apex B of the support lip 31, the encircling aPex A first

contacts the rounded outer contour of the protruding lip 16 of the

container's neck 15. Thereafter$ apex B of the support lip 3

-contacts the hollow cylinder of the interior wall 17 of the con-

tainer's neck 15. During the process of insertion; the support

lip 4 and rim section 2 are radially spread outward, which

results in an inwardly-directed pressure by apex A on the rounded

outer contour of the protruding lip 16 of the container's neck

This radially, inwardly directed force opposes the outwardly

directed force of apex B of sealing lip I, which has been created

by the force which sealing lip 3 exercises due to its particular

construction. Therefore the closure cap in a completely compressed

con~dition~ fits with great radial stress against the interior wall

17 of the container's neck, which insures a reliable seal even

at high presrure, as could occur during pasteurizing of the

-ontainer's contents once it has ben sealed.

Du to the described cons t especially during

insertion Prcce"ILure, a radially, ozt-ward dirocted force is

exerted by the sealing lip 3 by apex E, which is always absorbed

by ap--x- A c-f- the support lip 4 and especially by collar 10, so

that a shattering of the container's neck 15 is prevented. The

collar 10 and the axial ribs 11 reinforce the rim section 2 in

such a way, that the described support force is sufficiently

strong to prevent breakage of the bottle. The necessary axial

*force for spreading the rim section 2 and the support lip 3

during insertion is so great, that it can only be produced by

machine. However, once a closure cap of the present invention

has been opened, it may-be resealed or opened by hand. 8 476,830

53, 34 3 n. A particU.lari-- pefe-r.:-2C. bf:-L;nent of -the presenL inven-

tion is shown in 7'IGS. 4-z, with elements si-.-ilar to those shown

in the-embodiment in FIG. 1 being given similar numbers in the

100 series or letters with primnes associated therewith. The

major differences between the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4v6 as

compared with the embodiment shown in FIGS. lv3 are as follows.

The closure cap of FIGS. 4,6 does not include elements

corresponding to ribs 11, rings 9 or vents 8. Also' the inner,

lower surface of rim section 102 is tapered outwardly from top to

bottom to form a pointed rim 112. Further, the concave upper

surface 106 of base 101 extends from the periphery thereof rather

than being disposed only in the central portion of the base as in

the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3.

The closure caps of the present invention are preferably

constructed of a tough, resilient, flexible plastic such as

polyethylene. flowever, other plastics having these properties,

such as pcl:opylene, etc., al1E; ;"ay be utilized to advantage

in the present invention.

From the foreg.ing dicussicn, the advantages of the

closure cap of the preaent invention should become apparent.

Thus, the collar which assists in resisting the force exerted by

the cylindrical, inner section or skirt substantially reduces the

possibilities of bottle breakage on capping as well as the popping

out of the cap as a result of internal pressure. The bottom edge

of the collar also provides a means whereby the closure caps of the present invention may be conveniently opened with conventional

bottle openers. Further, bottles capped with the closure caps of

the present invention can only practically be opened with bottle

openers and when this is done, the opener leaves indentations or 9 476.830

53,343/73 opened, other marks indicating that the bottle has been initially has been resealed with the original cap. In even after it of the addition, the concave shaped base of the closure caps

present invention provides greater strength. The embodiment of

includes the the present invention shown in FIGS. 4T6 which rim is more pointed rim 112 has the advantage that this pointed the readily deformed in opening with a bottle opener than rim discourages embodiment of FIGS. 1-3. In addition' the pointed requiring people from trying to open the bottle by hand thus produce the people to use a bottle opener which in turn will previously tell-tale marks indicating that the bottle had been

opened. Whi I P -h fCVrn-rMr A'aQCrib2 two cpooifio zmboJii esent the present invention, it will be understood that t

invention is subject to various modifi ns within the capav

bilities of persons skill the art. Thus, the present

invention ca practiced with a variety of designs without a n l the<iappended elaitmM-. 'g j^pf -f1m this aFJi- d sr."pe

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Claims

53,34 3n3 THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:-

i. In a closure cap of plastics material for

a container having a protruding lip opening and adapted

to hold a liquid under pressure wherein the closure

cap includes a base, a generally cylindrically-shaped

inner section adapted to fit into the container

opening and a generally cylindrically shaped outer rim

section having an annular, flexible support lip

adapted to enclose the outer surface of the container

opening and to engage the protruding lip of the

container, and a circumferential reinforcing collar

disposed on the outer portion of said outer rim

section at the end of the rim opposite said base, wherein

the internal surface of said outer rim section is

flared radially outwardly in the region of said collar

and intersects the peripheral surface of the collar

to form a sharp edge at the end of the closure remote

from said base whereby said sharp edge will discourage

people from trying to remove by hand said closure from

said container and whereby removal of said closure

from said container by means of a bottle opener will

leave indentations indicating that said container has

been opened.

2. The closure cap of claim 1 wherein the

plastics material is polyethylene.

3. A closure cap, substantially as herein

described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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53,34 3m. DATED THIS 3rd Day of September, 1976.

ALBERT OBRIST By His Patent Attorneys

CLEMENT.HACK CO. Fellows Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia.

12 476.830

5334 3R3

16

FIGI3

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53. 34 3 n3.

101 Ff 4 106

A76 CIn