AU2021107287A6

AU2021107287A6 - Improved Bottle Closure

Info

Publication number: AU2021107287A6
Application number: AU2021107287A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Leonard Riseley
Original assignee: Gardan Entpr
Current assignee: Gardan Enterprises
Priority date: 2021-08-25
Filing date: 2021-08-25
Publication date: 2022-09-22
Anticipated expiration: 2029-08-25
Also published as: AU2021107287A4

Abstract

A moulded closure used to seal a bottle, the closure being made by injection or compression moulding from a material that is softer and more flexible than the bottle, the closure providing a positive seal on the bottle by engaging three sealing surfaces when twisted onto the bottle. The closure also includes a tamper evident ring which remains on the bottle when the closure is unscrewed. 10 12 18 34 Figure 1

Description

18 34

Figure 1

AUSTRALIA PatentsAct 1990

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT BOTTLE CLOSURE

The following statement is a full description of the invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:

BOTTLE CLOSURE

In the food and drink industries for instance, for the safe storage, maintenance and provisioning of liquids, sealable bottles or bottles are required to ensure that leakage does not occur and that the sealing system ensures the contents remain hygienically sealed even in adverse conditions throughout the life cycle of the liquids. It is critical therefore, that the liquid is effectively and efficiently sealed from the point of production through to the end user.

In some existing art, the cap or closure will have an additional internal material seal, wad or liner included on the underside of the bottle closure for sealing purposes, typically form fitted or glued to the bottle closure in a secondary process. The use of a separate liner introduces additional material and processes into the construction of the bottle closure. In addition, the inclusion of foreign material into a bottle closure does not make the entire closure totally recyclable. This will not be an acceptable outcome in the future. Liner-less sealing closures are therefore preferred in future bottle closure developments.

It is therefore the primary and preferred object of the invention to provide liner-less sealing between the closure and the bottle, and that the closure be manufactured from a single high speed injection or compression mould and produced from recyclable material.

In most existing art, sealing closures are appropriate for bottles having threaded necks. These sealing closures or closures, made from polyethylene or polypropylene, depend on tight contact with aspects of the neck of the bottle to provide a seal. Such sealing closures have in general proven unsatisfactory due to the fact that the threaded neck bottles which the closures are designed to seal are fabricated from plastics such as high density polyethylene and polypropylene, and these blown or moulded bottles are notorious for their uneven upper rim and outer neck surfaces. For these closures to effect a tight seal, there is a need in the art for a sealing closure which has sufficient flexibility to seal tightly with such bottles and which can withstand repeated sealings without reducing or affecting sealing properties.

It is therefore the primary and preferred object of the invention to provide a closure made from a softer and more flexible moulding material that is both strong and flexible and able to provide an effective seal with the bottle.

In the existing art, blown or moulded bottles are notorious for their uneven upper rim and outer neck surfaces and consequently most liner-less sealing closures for bottles rely on sealing downwardly on the top of the bottle and/or outwardly on the inner side of the upper wall of the threaded neck of the bottle. Sealing of the bottle on all three possible sealing surfaces, that being the outer side of the neck, the top lip or rim, and the inner side of the neck, simultaneously will provide a more effective seal.

It is therefore a preferred embodiment that a complete seal between the bottle and closure is achieved on all three possible bottle contact surfaces, the outer side of the neck, the top rim, and the inner side of the neck.

Existing art typically provides for a bottle closure that requires at least a half twist or turn to release or seal. This would require a significant turning moment for the user's wrist and arms to seal or unseal the bottle closure on the bottle.

It is therefore a preferred embodiment for the bottle closure to be able to be screwed or unscrewed using less than half a turn of the closure on the bottle.

Existing art provides for visible evidence of tampering or prior opening of the bottle through provision of either an additional inner seal or an outer skirt. As highlighted, high speed injection or compression moulding is the preference for future developments.

It is therefore a preferred embodiment that a tamper-evident skirt be included and be provided within the moulding process.

Broadly the invention comprises a closure that is moulded in one piece from a softer polyethylene type material that screws onto the neck of a bottle and in doing so, acts upon all upper contact surfaces of the bottle neck and provides an effective seal for the bottle such that any contained material is retained within the bottle and any inward or outward contamination of the contained material is effectively prevented. Contact by the closure with the sealing surfaces of the bottle is such that it is an interference or pressure fit and provides an effective seal on each of the three contact surfaces.

The invention may be better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show one example of the invention.

The drawings depict the application from a holistic context. In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, preferred embodiments are described by way of example with reference to accompanying drawings as stated.

Figure 1 is an outer isometric view of the entire bottle closure (10). This figure depicts the invention for clarity, without specifying preferred embodiments. The device is a single piece and includes a top wall (12), an annular skirt (18), and an annular tamper ring (34).

Figure 2 is an isometric view of the closure depicting greater detail. It has a circular top of the closure (12) which includes a flat top wall outer face that allows printing of a customer's logo or information. The annular skirt (18) includes the outer annular wall (20) and outer grip ribbing (24) that allows for easy gripping for screwing and attaching or detaching the closure to or from the bottle. The annular tamper ring (34) provides a tamper evident ring that separates from the closure when the closure is removed from the bottle.

Figure 3 is an elevation view of the closure (10) showing the flat top of the closure (12), the annular skirt (18), which includes the outer annular wall (20) and outer grip ribbing (24) that allows for easy gripping for screwing, attaching or detaching the closure to or from the bottle. Also shown is the annular tamper ring (34), which provides a tamper evident ring that separates from the closure (10) when the tamper evident ring tear off membrane (38) breaks and separates when the closure (10) is unscrewed from the bottle. The tear off membrane also allows the tamper evident ring (34) to fill and be completed during the moulding process.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view showing the complete closure (10). Also shown are the top wall (12) and the top wall inner face (16), which is connected to the annular wall and attaches to the annular inner wall, and to which the helical multi start thread (26) is attached. It should be noted that a multi-start thread can consist of two or more intertwined threads running parallel to one another. Intertwining threads allow the lead distance of a thread to be increased without changing its pitch. The helical thread in this invention can be any one of any number of start thread design depending on the style of thread engagement required. Figure 4 also depicts the annular inner skirt (28) which locates on the internal opening of the bottle as an interference fit and acts as the primary seal. Also shown is the annular top seal (30) which is the secondary seal that interfaces with the top face or rim of the bottle and forms a pressure fit. The annular outer seal (32) is shown. It is the tertiary seal that has an interference fit and seals with the outer surface of the bottle o neck when the closure (10) is tightened. The annular tamper ring (34) includes the inner side tamper ring retaining ribs (36), that inhibit the tamper rings (34) removal from the bottle and provide the evidence of tampering.

Figure 5 is a bottom isometric view showing the complete closure (10). Also shown are the top wall (12) and the top wall inner face (16), which is connected to the annular wall (20) and attaches to the annular inner wall (22), and to which the helical thread (26) is attached. It should be noted that the helical thread (26) is such that it only requires % turn to release from (unseal) or apply the closure to the bottle that it seals. It should be noted that this is one example of the design, and the amount of turn required to release, and the number of thread starts can each be varied to meet the production and user requirements. Also depicted is the annular inner skirt (28) which locates on the internal opening of the bottle and acts as the primary seal. The annular outer seal (32) is shown. This annular outer seal is the tertiary seal that has an interference fit and seals with the outer surface of the bottle neck when the closure (10) is tightened. The annular tamper ring (34) includes the inner side tamper ring retaining ribs (36), that inhibit the tamper rings (34) removal fromthebottle. The tamper evident ring separates from the closure (10) when the tamper evident ring tear off membrane (38) breaks and separates as the closure (10) is unscrewed from the bottle, while the tamper ring retaining ribs (36) inhibit the tamper rings (34) removal and provide the evidence of tampering.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional isometric view of the closure (10). Clearly depicted is the annular inner skirt (28). This skirt (28) locates on the internal opening of the bottle, has an interference fit with that surface of the bottle, and acts as the primary seal. Also shown is the annular top seal (30) which is the secondary seal that interfaces with the top face or rim of the bottle when the closure is sealed and the top seal (30) connects with the bottle rim or top face under pressure. Also shown is the annular outer seal (32) which is the tertiary seal that has an interference fit and seals with the outer surface of the bottle neck. This view highlights the three seals (28)(30) and (32) dislocated from the bottle but clearly evident in their ability to interference and/or pressure fit with the three corresponding surfaces of the bottle or bottle and seal it accordingly.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional elevation view of the closure (10) clearly demonstrating the closures ability to seal against a bottle by utilising the three seal surfaces (28)(30) and (32). Also evident is the annular tamper ring (34), the inner side tamper ring retaining ribs (36) that inhibit the tamper rings (34) removal from the bottle. It is evident that the tamper evident ring separates (34) from the closure (10) when the tamper evident ring tear off membrane (38) breaks and separates as the closure (10) is unscrewed from the bottle, while the tamper ring retaining ribs (36) inhibit the tamper rings (34) removal and provide the evidence of tampering.

Figures 8-1, 8-2 and 8-3 are cross-sectional elevation views of the closure progressively engaging with the bottle. Figure 8-1 shows the closure thread at the first engagement stage. It is noted in this Figure that none of the closure sealing surfaces (28) (29 and (30) have engaged with the bottle surfaces. Figure 8-2 shows the closure having been screwed progressively on such that the annular inner skirt (28) is starting to engage with the inner surface of the bottle. Figure 8-3 shows the closure fully screwed onto the bottle and the three sealing surfaces (28) (29) and (30) have fully engaged with the bottle surfaces on the inner side, top and outer side respectively. Also clearly depicted in Figure 8-3 is the tamper evident ring (34) full engaged under a lower bottle thread, such that when the closure is unscrewed, the tamper evident ring will tear away from the remainder of the closure and provide proof of opening of the bottle to the observer.

Figure 9 is a close-up sectional view of the closure full engaged with the bottle and the three sealing surfaces (28) (30 and (32) fully sealing against the respective surfaces of the bottle.

It is readily apparent to the skilled observer that the present invention provides a bottle closure therefore, which has many advantages over the prior arrangements.

Various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described and illustrated without departing from the present invention defined in the appended claims.

Claims

EDITORIAL NOTE 2021107287 THERE IS ONE PAGE OF CLAIMS ONLY CLAIMS The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. A moulded closure for use to seal a bottle, the closure being made by injection or compression moulding from a material that is softer and more flexible than the bottle, the closure comprising a top wall defining a generally planar outer and inner surface, an annular skirt depending from the top wall generally perpendicular thereto and including a bottle engaging threaded section, three sealing surfaces and a tamper evident ring at the extremity formed therein.

2. The closure of Claim 1 wherein the three sealing surfaces fully engage the bottles inner surface, top surface or rim, and the outer surface when the closure is closed fully on the bottle.

3. The three sealing surfaces of Claim 1 and 2 wherein the annular inner sealing surface and annular outer sealing surface are both pressure and interference fit and provide a positive seal against the bottle surfaces and the annular top sealing surface engages with the bottle with positive pressure when the closure is fully engaged on the bottle.

4. The closure of Claim 1 wherein the closure only requires a one quarter turn to release from or screw onto the bottle.

5. The closure of Claim 1 wherein the tamper evident ring remains located on the bottle when the closure is removed from the bottle.

Figure 1

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Figure 8-1

Figure 8-2

Figure 8-3

Figure 9