EP0005119B1 - Closure means for a threaded-neck container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to closure devices for flasks, bottles and other receptacles with a threaded neck, and more particularly, a closure element of the so-called “capsule” type consisting of an internally threaded cylindrical cap intended to be screwed onto the corresponding thread of the neck of the bottle, said cap being secured and sometimes made in one piece with an envelope or an external cover giving the capsule an aesthetic appearance.

When such capping elements with non-cylindrical external cover are used on non-cylindrical bottles intended to receive perfume, eau de toilette, cosmetics or the like, the aesthetic appearance of the assembly constituted by the closure and the bottle is of paramount importance and it is in particular necessary to obtain a perfect coincidence of the section of the embellishment of the stopper element and of the section of the bottle in the end-of-travel blocking position threaded cap, which is particularly difficult due to the manufacturing tolerances of glassware nets. The same problem of coincidence could be posed in the case of a hubcap and a bottle of round sections when decorative or similar patterns appearing on the two elements must come into coincidence.

We first thought of solving this problem by properly orienting the outer cover relative to the cap so that, in the end-of-travel locking position of the inner thread of the cap, the sections are aligned. To more easily achieve this alignment during the manufacture of the closure element despite the manufacturing tolerances of glassware, it has been proposed to mount the trim part of the closure element on the cylindrical cap internally threaded by screwing all 'first on the neck of said bottle the cap, the outer surface of which is provided with longitudinal grooves, and by force fitting on said cap, giving it the desired orientation, said trim part which comprises for this purpose an internal interlocking whose shape is complementary to the external surface of said cap. However, after repeated tightening and loosening of the plugging element, the end-of-travel blocking position of the inner cap is very often slightly offset as a result of the wear of the threads or the packing of the sealing elements and there is no more therefore obtains the correct orientation of the closure element relative to the body of the bottle.

A device has also been proposed in which a snap-fit engagement of the hubcap is used on the body of the bottle in the vicinity of the end-of-stroke locking position of the cap. In this case, the hubcap and the threaded cap are integral with each other, the peripheral edge of the hubcap forming a projecting lip and the upper surface of the bottle surrounding the neck carrying at its periphery a surface of support forming a groove in which the lip of the peripheral edge of the hubcap must fit so as to align the sections. However, for this interlocking between surfaces which are not of revolution to be possible, the relative longitudinal movement ensuring the interlocking of the lip and of the groove must be carried out during a very limited angle rotation corresponding to a fraction of about an eighth of a turn of the plugging element which must therefore have a very fast pitch thread. In addition, the wall of the bottle between the nesting groove and the threaded neck must be elastically deformable since the upper surface of this wall is already in contact with the edge of the lip of the hubcap while the latter still needs to be, under the effect of the cap screwing down from the height of the socket. As a result, the bottle must be made of flexible plastic, which prohibits glass bottles or other rigid material as usually used in luxury perfumery. In addition, it is certain that the contact surfaces between the hubcap and the body of the bottle must be flat, which limits the aesthetic possibilities. In addition, with this closure device and at the end of the cap screwing operation limited by the arrival at the end of the cap stop travel, there may remain an unsightly play between the body of the bottle and the trim of the plug.

It has also been proposed in American Patent No. 3,514,003 a safety cap which comprises a threaded cap screwing onto the neck of the bottle and a blocking element which, in certain embodiments, consists of a ring engaged on the neck, this ring being fixed to the rotation relative to the neck but being able to slide longitudinally to come, by cooperation of stops which it carries with corresponding stops of the cap immobilize the latter with the rotation. However, the result obtained with this type of plug is immobilization against any axial displacement so that the plug cannot be released by an inexperienced person such as a child. This type of stopper is used on cylindrical bottles containing the most often dangerous drugs. However, with such bottles, there is no problem of orientation of the stopper with respect to the bottle itself.

The present invention aims to remedy the above drawbacks by providing a plugging element including the hubcap. is, in the stoppered position, always oriented correctly relative to the body of the bottle.

The invention achieves this result by elastically biasing towards the cap or plugging element, a plug orientation element. which is fixed to rotation but partially disengaged from axial movement relative to the bottle, said orientation element carrying a radial stop cooperating at the end of the screwing stroke with a radial stop secured to the cap.

This radial stop can be achieved by a snap-fit with longitudinal interlocking between the orientation element and a part of the plug which can be the cap or the hubcap.

According to a first embodiment, the orientation element of the stopper is constituted by an embellishing sleeve slidingly fitting the periphery of the bottle and resiliently biased towards the neck, this embellishing sleeve carrying an element forming a stop for rotation for the plug. The stop can be constituted by an interlocking of the peripheral skirt of the cap embellishment in a groove = carried by the upper edge of the embellishing sleeve of the bottle. The elastic stress of the embellished sleeve can be ensured by any elastic means acting between the upper surface of the bottle and said embellished sleeve with a second stop limiting the movement of the embellished sleeve against the action of the elastic means. According to a preferred embodiment, this second stop is formed by engaging a ring secured to the embellished sleeve under the peripheral ring provided at a certain height of the neck.

The device may consist of a ring capable of enclosing the neck of the bottle and carrying, on the one hand, means which engage under the peripheral ring of the neck and, on the other hand, means for securing with the embellished sleeve from the bottle. The elastic means can act on the embellishing sleeve or on the ring and be constituted for example by elastic tabs bearing on the upper face of the bottle. The means for securing the ring to the embellished sleeve can be constituted by a latching device.

In the case where it is desired to have a fixed cover sleeve and of reduced height relative to the bottle, the cover sleeve only acts as a body ensuring the fixity of the orientation, relative to the bottle, of the element d orientation of the stopper which is placed around the neck and cooperates with a stop member inside the cover of the stopper. In this embodiment, the surface of the seal between the embellishment of the bottle and the embellishment of the cap must be flat and the device which only mechanically allows an orientation abutment by longitudinal interlocking between an element integral with the bottle and a element attached to the stopper does not eliminate any play between the embellishment of the bottle and that of the stopper.

According to a simplified embodiment of the invention with which the precision of the orientation is lower than that obtained with a sleeve embellishing the bottle, the member ensuring the fixity of the orientation, relative to the bottle, of the 'orientation element of the stopper is fixed on the neck of the bottle, the orientation element of the stopper cooperating with the cap of the stopper and being secured to the member ensuring the fixity of the orientation by an elastic element.

• la figure 1 est une vue en coupe suivant le plan du grand axe de l'ellipse d'un premier mode de réalisation du dispositif de bouchage conforme à l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue en plan de la partie, objet de l'invention, du dispositif de bouchage de la figure 1 ;
• la figures est une vue en perspective d'un élément standard du dispositif de bouchage permettant l'adaptation sur divers types d'enjoliveurs de flacon ;
• la figure 4 est une vue correspondant à la figure 1 pour un dispositif à enjoliveur de flacon fixe, et
• la figure 5 est une vue en plan correspondant à la figure 2 pour le dispositif de bouchage de la figure 4.

Other characteristics of the present invention will appear on reading the detailed description of various embodiments given below with reference to the attached drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a sectional view along the plane of the major axis of the ellipse of a first embodiment of the closure device according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is a plan view of the part, object of the invention, of the closure device of Figure 1;
• the figures is a perspective view of a standard element of the closure device allowing adaptation to various types of bottle caps;
• FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 for a device with a fixed bottle cap, and
• FIG. 5 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 2 for the closure device of FIG. 4.

The devices of FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5 are applied to a bottle 1 (shown in dashed lines) of ellipsoidal section comprising a threaded neck 2 with, at the base of the threaded part, a rod 3. For implementation of the invention, the bottle preferably comprises a zone 4, adjacent to the upper surface, zone 4 which also has an ellipsoidal section but of smaller diameters and intended to be fitted by a bottle cap.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the vial cover 6 comprises a skirt of ellipsoidal section 7 capable of sliding on the area 4 and an upper surface 8 which is joined to the skirt 7 by a groove 9. For the fitting of the bottle cap, the latter comprises a ring 10 surrounding the neck, ring which is split at 11 to form, for example, four tongues 12 having a tooth 13 which, by elastic deformation of the tongue which door, can be engaged under the rod 3 of the neck. The lower face of the surface 8 carries two elastic tongues 14 forming springs which bear on the upper face 5 of the bottle to push the bottle cover 6 upwards with the teeth 13 bearing under the rod 3.

The capsule stopper includes a cover 15 whose skirt 16 can fit into the groove 9 and a central threaded cap 17 with a thread corresponding to that of the neck 2 in which a known seal 18 is placed.

When the plug is put in place and when it comes close to the end of its travel, the edge of the skirt 16 which is not of revolution comes to bear on the upper surface 8 of the hubcap and due to the screwing pushes the hubcap 6 against the action of the elastic tongues 14 until the sections being in coincidence, the skirt 16 of the cap hubcap snaps into the groove 9 of the vial cover, which then rises under the action of the elastic tongues 14, which ensures immobilization of the stopper upon rotation and perfect alignment of the ellipsoidal sections of the vial, of the bottle cover and the cap cover. The device also avoids any play, in the closed position, between the bottle cover and the cap cover.

In the embodiment of Figure 3 we find some of the elements of the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 designated by the same references, namely the ring 10 carrying tabs 12 with teeth 13 for attachment under the neck of the neck and elastic tongues 14 which are here integral with the ring 10 and which bear on the upper face of the bottle to urge the ring 10 towards the support of the teeth 13 under the rod 3 of the neck. This device is intended to be used with a bottle cover similar to that described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, but which is independent of it so that the device of FIG. 3 can be used with bottle covers and bottles having all desired sections. The hubcap only has in its surface a central circular orifice which engages around the ring 10 and which is keyed into position by tongues 19 carrying teeth 20 directed outwards and downwards. The tongues 19 can protrude slightly on the periphery of the ring 10 for, by engagement in corresponding notches provided on the periphery of the circular orifice of the bottle cap, maintain the orientation of the ring 10 and of the elastic tongues 14. The ring 10 - hubcap 6 assembly works exactly like the closure device described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the alternative embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5, the hubcap 21 is fixed relative to the bottle and it comprises, in the center of its upper face 22, a ring 23 comprising two tongues 24 with a tooth 25 which engages under the ring 3 to hold the hubcap in position. The ring 23 forms a guide for elements in a cylindrical sector 26 which can slide inside the latter, between the ring 23 and the rod 3. These elements in sector 26 are carried by elastic tongues 27 carried at their other end by a crown 28 which fits into the hubcap 21 by resting on the upper surface of the bottle. One end 29 of each sector has a substantially radial section while the other end 30 forms a ramp, the end 29 thereby forming a stop in the screwing direction for a tooth 31 of trapezoidal section carried by the free edge of the cap 17 which is screwed onto the neck 2. With this device, during the screwing of the cap, the tooth 31 or the two diametrically opposite teeth come to bear on the upper edge of the sectors 26 and push them back, at the same time as the screwing progresses , against the action of the elastic tongues 27. During the coincidence arrival shown in FIG. 4, the tooth 31 engages between the surfaces 29 and 30, which immobilizes the cap 17 and the hub cap 15 which is integral with a perfect matching of the sections of the bottle and the hubcap.

It is obvious that the elastic tongues 27 could be integral with the bottle cap limited to a peripheral crown without the upper surface 22, but the visible tongues on the upper face of the open bottle would be detrimental to the aesthetics.

The device could also be produced in the form of two rings joined by elastic V-shaped tongues or a double elastic frustoconical veil, the ring not carrying the latching notch being force fitted on the base of the neck below the rod or secured to it by a means preventing its rotation under the screwing effort.

Claims (9)

1. A stopping device of the so-called capsule type, comprising a threaded cap which is screwed onto the neck (2) of the flask (1) and an embellisher (15) connected to the cap which, in stopping position, has to have a determined orientation relative to the flask comprising an orientation element for the stopper (6, 26) fixed in rotation relative to the flask but partially disconnected from said flask in axial displacement and carrying a radial abutment (9, 29, 30) provided by a longitudinal nesting interlocking between the orientation element and a portion of the stooper, said abutment cooperating at the end of the screwing stroke with a radial abutment (16, 31) connected with the cap, wherein the orientation element of the stopper (6, 26) is resiliently biased (14, 27) towards the cap.

2. A stopping device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the orientation element of the stopper is made of an embellisher sleeve (6) slidably nested onto the periphery of the flask and provided with at least one element (14) resiliently biasing it in the direction^* of the neck, said embellisher sleeve carrying an element (9) forming an abutment for the rotation of the stopper.

3. A stopping device as claimed in any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the abutment is provided by the nesting of the peripheral skirt (16) of the embellisher (15) of the cap inside a groove (9) formed on the upper edge of the orientation element (6).

4. A stopping device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the resilient bias of the orientation element of the flask is provided by any resilient means (14, 27) acting between the upper surface (5) of the flask and said or orientation element (6, 26) with a second abutment (10, 23) limiting the displacement of the orientation element against the action of the resilient means.

5. A stopping device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second abutment is provided by the engagement of a ring (10, 23) connected with the orientation element under the peripheral retainer provided at a certain height of the neck.

6. A stopping device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it is made of a ring (10, 23) adapted for surrounding the neck of the flask and carrying, on the one hand, means (13, 25) engaging under the peripheral retainer of the neck and, on the other hand, means (20) for connection with the stopper orientation element.

7. A stopping device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the means for connecting the ring (10) with the orientation element are constituted by an interlocking device (19, 20).

8. A stopping device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stopper orientation element is made of an embellisher sleeve (21) fixed relative to the flask, and by an orientation means (26) of the stopper placed around the neck (2) inside the embellisher sleeve (21) and provided with at least one resilient element (27) fixed in rotation relative to the flask which biases it resiliently in the direction of the neck, the orientation means (26) of the stopper cooperating through an abutment (29) with an abutment member (31) inside the stopper embellisher (15).

9. A stopping device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stopper orientation element cooperates with the cap (17) of the stopper and is connected by at least one resilient element (27) with a rigid means (28) fixed on the flask.

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