ES2343442T3 - HANDLING EVIDENCE RING FOR METAL CLOSURES. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tamper-evident ring (4) comprising an upper ring (20) and at least two adjacent segments (30) connected to the upper ring (20) by permanent connection means (31), in which the permanent connection means (31) are disposed at the ends (33, 34) closest to one another of the at least two adjacent segments (30); as an alternative, the present invention relates to the above-described tamper-evident ring (4) in which at least one support tongue of a first type (41) and at least one support tongue of a second type (42) alternate with one another about the circumference of the upper ring (20).

Description

Ring tamper evidence for closures metallic

The present invention is related to a tamper evident ring, for metal closures stretched according to the preamble of claim 1. Such closures are known, for example, from document DE3833345C1, disclosing the preamble of claim 1, or by the document EP507706.

These rings of tamper evidence are use, for example, within the closures obtained by Threaded aluminum stretch, applied to products widely consumed (such as glass bottles for water) for which is essential to provide end consumers with guarantee that they have not been manipulated after bottling.

These closures generally comprise a lid exterior, usually made of stretched aluminum, which forms its own closure and fits with the thread of the bottle neck, and an insert, generally of die cut polymer material, which is interposed between the mouth of the bottle and the metal of the closure, ensuring that the mouth is airtight. An example of the insert of This class is disclosed in European Patent specification EP 0 770 559.

To highlight that the bottle has been opened by for the first time, these closures also comprise a ring of tamper evidence that includes at least two segments that are joined together and / or with the outer cover, by means of weakening lines or bridges.

In the memory of United States patent 3 812 991, for example, the tamper evidence ring is made of metal and rigid with the outer cover by means of bridges appropriate. At the initial opening, the bridges deform and the segments are separated and exposed externally to the container, showing that the initial opening has taken place.

The drawback of these closures is that users can injure themselves by inadvertently touching the surfaces of metal fragments created after initial opening.

To remedy this problem, the ring of evidence of manipulation disclosed in the patent specification German DE 38 33 945 is made of polymer material that is more Soft than metal.

As can be seen in Figure 1 of this patent, the tamper evidence ring comprises a ring upper 17 adapted to be attached to the metal cover.

The bottom of the evidence ring of the manipulation is divided into three segments stably connected to the upper ring by means of respective bridges (illustrated as 35 in Figure 2) arranged in a position substantially central with respect to each of the segments

In this way, only half of the segments protrude from the lid and are therefore less dangerous; however, the bridges have to be arranged above each segment, with the result that they can be rotated only around a horizontal axis.

In this way, the visibility of the segment is reduces when in the open position and repositioning is quite easy.

In view of the prior art described previously, the object of the present invention is to provide a ring of evidence of manipulation in which they can rotate the segments, during opening, around a non-horizontal axis, while at the same time retaining the advantages of closures known.

In accordance with the present invention, this object is achieved by means of a ring of evidence of handling according to claim 1.

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The possibilities and advantages characteristic of The present invention are set out in the detailed description following a practical embodiment thereof, offered merely by way of non-limiting example, made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1a is a front view of a closure comprising a ring according to an embodiment preferred of the present invention;

Figure 1b is a section through the closure of figure 1a, along the line B-B;

Figure 1c is a section through the closure of figure 1a, along the line A-A;

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the closure of figure 1;

Figures 3a to 3c show details of sections through the closure of figure 2, along the lines C-C, D-D and E-E, respectively.

In Figures 1a and 1b, a detail is illustrated in closure indicated as 1 and comprising an outer member or cover 2 which is generally connected to an insert 3 and a ring 4 of tamper evidence

The container to which the closure is applied is illustrated as 100 and comprises a mouth 101 and a threaded neck 102

The outer member 2 is generally made to starting from stretched metal, preferably aluminum, and has a thread 10 corresponding to the thread 103 of the container 100.

Above the thread 10, the outer member 2 it comprises a flat base 11 which, together with the insert 3, is adapted to ensure that the closure 1 is sealed on the container 100.

Below the thread 10, the outer member 2 it is provided with a hollow seat 12 limited at the bottom by a protruding wall 13. The purpose of this hollow seat 12 is to allow ring 4 of tamper evidence to be housed stably, as will be explained in more detail below.

Ring 4 tamper evidence illustrated in the drawings comprises an upper ring 20 adapted to be fitted in the hollow seat 12; as can be seen by the Figure 1b, the outer surface 21 of the upper ring 20 is slightly conical, with a maximum diameter of D1, while the inner surface 22 of the upper ring 20 is cylindrical with a diameter D2 <D1.

Below top ring 20, ring 4 of evidence of manipulation comprises a plurality of segments 30 with a substantially circular arc shape, and which extend around the entire concentric lower ring with the top ring 20.

As illustrated in Fig. 1c, segments 30 have a head end 33 and a tail end 34, formed such that, following segments 30 in the clockwise direction or counterclockwise of the watch, the ends of two adjacent segments 30 are a head end 33 and an end 34 of
tail.

Before the initial opening, segments 30 are connected to the upper ring 20 by means 31 of permanent connection and advantageously also by means 32 of temporary connection

For the purposes of the present invention, "means of permanent connection" are understood as means of connection that ensure that the segments are connected to the upper ring even after the initial opening of the container to which the ring of the present invention is applied, while "temporary connection means" are understood as connection means that ensure that the segments are connected to the upper ring only until the initial opening, but not after.

Examples of temporary connection means include weakening lines, dotted lines, dashed lines that they form bridges, bridges with low mechanical resistance. A person skilled in the art will be able to find alternatives equivalent to the embodiments illustrated in this memory.

The upper ring 20 may be provided with support tabs of a first type 41, connected to one of a plurality of segments 30 by means of permanent connection 31 and support tabs of a second type 42, connected to one of a plurality of segments 30 by means of temporary connection 32.

Each segment 30 is connected to a tongue of support of the first type 41 and preferably only one of such tabs.

According to the invention, means 31 of permanent connection are arranged alternately on sides opposites of consecutive segments 30.

In other words, segments 30 are connected to the upper ring 20 by connection means 31 permanent alternating head ends 33 with ends 34 of tail.

This configuration is clearly illustrated in Figure 1c

Alternatively, according to the invention, the support tabs of the first type 41 alternate with the support tabs of the second type 42 when observed in the clockwise or counterclockwise clockwise

The invention therefore provides a ring 4 of evidence of manipulation provided with segments 30 that protrude from the shape of closure 1 after the initial opening of a way that is more evident than the known rings until now.

Advantageously, the support tabs of the first type and second type 41, 42 has substantially the same way, sticking down from inside the top ring 20 and being fixed to it.

The diameter D3 of the circle circumscribed at support tabs 41, 42 is advantageously equal to the diameter of the circle circumscribed to segments 30, before mounting on the container 100 and is at most only a few tenths of mm smaller than diameter D2. In particular, separation 47 between segments 30 and upper ring 20 is less than 0.5 mm, for example about 0.2 mm.

Advantageously, segments 30 are connected to the upper ring 20 by connecting means 32 temporal at its opposite end to which it is connected by 31 means of permanent connection. For example, a segment 30 in particular may have its head end 33 connected by means 31 for permanent connection to a support tongue of the first type 41 and its tail end 34 connected by connection means 32 temporary to a support tongue of the second type 42.

In this case, each segment 30 adjacent to them it is arranged in a mirror image, with its tail end 34 connected by means of permanent connection 31 to a tongue of support of the first type 41 and its head end 33 connected by means 32 for temporary connection to a support tongue of the second type 42.

As you can see, there is a special case when the ring 4 of tamper evidence includes only two support tabs 41, 42 and only two segments 30. In this case, one of the two support tabs 41, 42 will be of the first type and the second of the second type.

The number of support tabs 41, 42 is advantageously equal to the number of segments 30, and is preferably  an even number, for example two, four, six or eight.

As can be seen from figures 3a to 3c, the segment 30 comprises an outer wall 35, preferably in cylindrical section shape, connected to upper ring 20 as described above, and an inner wall 36, preferably in the form of a truncated conical section that converges towards above, advantageously arranged mutually with another in the form of "V" with its vertex at the bottom.

The thickness of the support tabs 41, 42 is advantageously equal to the thickness of the outer wall 35, which is substantially equal to the thickness of the inner wall 36.

In this way, segment 30 does not generate a excessive resistance when the closure 1 is applied to the container 100, because the "V" closes, but during the initial opening, it can be supported on the appropriate shoulder 104 arranged in the neck 102 of the container 100, so that a thrust is obtained out that makes temporary connection means 32 be break, leaving each segment 30 connected to the upper ring 20 only by means of permanent connection 31.

Advantageously, each segment 30 is connected also to the upper ring 20 by additional temporary means 32, for example rupture bridges 40, (illustrated in Figures 1b and 3a), arranged at the top of the outer wall 35, for retain them (and therefore retain the respective segment 30) in their correct position during own assembly operations close 1.

These additional means may be bridges of break, for example three of them, which can be equally spaced and arranged symmetrically with respect to the center of the segment 30.

In the configuration prior to opening initial, there is therefore a lower ring, formed by all segments 30, support tabs 41, 42 and means 31, 32 of connection arranged between them, below the upper ring twenty.

The connection means 31, 32 arranged between the support tabs 41, 42 and the segments 30, are formed advantageously by thin walls 43, 44 or diaphragms that connect continuously segments 30 to tabs 41, 42 of support.

The thin walls 43, 44 are thinner than segments 30 and support tabs 41, 42; in particular, the thin walls 43 forming the connection means 31 permanent, have a greater thickness, advantageously between 0.1 and 0.5 mm, while the 4 4 thin walls that form the means 32 of temporary connection have a smaller thickness, advantageously between 0.05 and 0.3 mm, and preferably about 0.1 mm.

In a preferred embodiment, the walls thin 43 forming permanent connection means 31, define a first groove 45 that extends transversely to the predominant direction of segments 30 and looking towards the outer ring 4.

As illustrated in Figure 3b, the length Lp of the first slit 4 5 may be advantageously less than the height of segments 30. Thus, the first slit 45 is limited at one end by a rib 46 arranged only in the place of the end of the first groove 45 that look towards the top ring 20.

The opening movement of segments 30 it has a first phase directed downwards, followed by a second phase in which the rotational movement around the means 31 permanent connection has an upwardly directed component due to this position of the rib 46.

In other words, during the initial opening, segments 30 open like a seagull wing if they look at each other front, that is on the side on which they are attached to the ring upper 20 by means of permanent connection 31.

The material of the rib 46 (and at least part of the diaphragm material 41) is subjected during opening to a permanent deformation that makes it more difficult to reposition it in the initial setup.

Advantageously, the thin walls 44 which form the temporary connection means 32 define a second slit 48 extending transversely to the predominant direction of segments 30, preferably perpendicular to them, and that look inside the closure 1.

The length Lt of the second slit 4 8 can be advantageously equal to the height of segments 30 (figure 3a). In this way, thin walls 44 can be torn apart. more easily, separating segments 30 from the tabs of second type support 42.

According to an embodiment alternatively, the adjacent head and tail parts of the segments contiguous 30, are connected by stiff members in the form of bridges (not illustrated in the drawings) arranged in the vicinity of the inner corners of the truncated cone sections of the wall internal 36. The effect of these members in the form of bridges is stiffening the annular structure formed by segments 30, to prevent the removal of ring 4 of tamper evidence without tearing it apart

Ring 4 evidence of tampering with the The present invention can be produced by casting pressure, using the appropriate presses.

Ring 4 of tamper evidence is advantageously made of a piece from polymer material such such as PE, HDPE, LDPE or mixtures of HDPE / LDPE.

A person skilled in the art would be able obviously to modify and vary the settings described previously in many ways, in order to meet requirements related and particular, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention, as set forth in the accompanying claims.

Claims (10)

1. A ring (4) of tamper evidence for a closure (1) of a container (100) having a neck threaded (102) and a mouth (101), this ring (4) comprising tamper evidence:

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a top ring (20) adapted to be fitted in a hollow seat complementary (12) formed in the closure (1),

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to the minus two contiguous segments (30) arranged substantially around a concentric lower ring with the upper ring (20), and connected to the upper ring (20) by means (31) of permanent connection,

where the means (31) of permanent connection are arranged at the ends (33, 34) closest to each other of at least two contiguous segments (30), characterized because the upper ring (20) comprises tabs of support of a first type (41) and a second type (42), the total number of these support tabs (41, 42) equal to the number of segments (30), each of these segments being connected (30) to one of the support tabs (41) of the first type, by means (31) for permanent connection. 2. A ring (4) of tamper evidence, according to claim 1, wherein the connection means (31) permanent comprise a first slit (45) that extends transversely to the predominant direction of the segments (30), the base of this first slit (45) being formed by a wall thin (43). 3. A ring (4) of tamper evidence, according to any of the preceding claims, wherein permanent connection means (31) comprise a rib (46) arranged in the vicinity of the upper ring (20) and adapted to provide these segments (30) with an ascending component during the opening movement. 4. A ring (4) of tamper evidence, according to the preceding claim, wherein the first slit (45) look towards the outer surface of the ring (4) of evidence of manipulation 5. A ring (4) of tamper evidence, according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each of the segments (30) is connected, before opening initial, to one of the support tabs of the second type (42) by means (32) of temporary connection, these means (32) being of temporary connection adapted not to connect the segments (30) to the support tabs of the second type (42) after opening initial closing (1). 6. A ring (4) of tamper evidence, according to any of the preceding claims, wherein temporary connection means (31) comprise a second groove (48) extending transversely to the predominant direction of the segments (30), the base of this second being formed slit (48) through a thin wall (44). 7. A ring (4) of tamper evidence, according to claim 6, wherein the second slit (48) looks towards the inner surface of the ring (4) of evidence of handling. 8. A ring (4) of tamper evidence, according to any of the preceding claims, wherein all segments (30) the support tabs (41, 42) and the temporary and permanent connection members (31, 32) form a lower ring 9. A ring (4) of tamper evidence, according to any of the preceding claims, wherein segments (30) comprise an outer wall (35) in the form of cylindrical section and an inner wall (36) in the shape of a truncated conical section that converges upwards, arranged a relative to each other so that they form a "V" with the vertex on the bottom. 10. A closure (1) for a container (100) that it has a threaded neck (102) and a mouth (101), said said close a hollow seat (12) and a ring (4) of evidence of handling, according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said upper ring (20) fits into said hollow seat (12) complementary with her.