EP0103050B1 - Closure cap for bottles comprising a tamper-proof element - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a closure cap, in particular for bottle-like containers, with a tamper-evident element which is connected to a cap part by means of tear-off webs and which remains on the container after the first opening of the closure by tearing off the tear-off webs.

There is often a need to be able to determine whether a container has been opened, for example for liquid medicines, tablets or the like. A large number of tamper-evident closures are already known for this purpose. In principle, a tamper-evident element is always provided, which in the original state of the cap is firmly connected to the other parts of the cap and is separated from the associated container at predetermined breaking points when the cap is unscrewed for the first time. In most cases, a reduction in wall thickness or an average through the cap wall is provided, with axially parallel or radial tear-off webs remaining (DE-A-27 04 461).

Similar sealing caps are known from DE-A-19 55 047, FR-A-1 536 459 and FR-A-1 581 775. In these tamper-evident closures, various types of protrusions are distributed between the actual cap and a tamper-evident locking ring at intervals around the circumference intended. These projections are intended to enable the connecting webs to be torn off when the closure is unscrewed, while each take the other part with them, for example with the aid of a closing device, and thereby prevent the connecting webs from being torn off. In the known tamper-evident security closures, these projections have a complicated shape and require a correspondingly complicated tool in the production of these screw caps.

The closure caps are applied to the associated containers with the aid of closing machines which have closure heads which comprise the closure cap and which, when rotated appropriately, press or screw the closure cap onto the container, i.e. close the container.

For this purpose, the predetermined breaking points or tear-off webs must have such a strength, since they withstand the effects of force during the closing process (screwing-on process). Otherwise, a separation between the closure cap and the tamper-evident element would already take place when the container is closed and not only when it is opened for the first time.

Capping machines that operate at a greatly increased number of revolutions have become known in recent times. As a result, the forces (torques) acting at the predetermined breaking points or tear-off webs are greatly increased, so that the previously known sealing caps with tamper-evident protection cannot be processed on such sealing machines.

The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a closure cap with a tamper-evident element which survives the closing (unscrewing) process undamaged even at high speeds of the closing machines.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that a kerf separating the tamper-evident element from the cap part has periodically alternating sections continuously over its entire circumference and in that tear-off webs projecting inwards between the tamper-evident element and the cap part are arranged in the cap jacket, the interlocking sections serving as drivers when closing .

The configuration according to the invention ensures that the individual sections, when the closure is applied (screwed onto the container), cause the individual sections to take along with one another, so that the tear-off webs are not stressed beyond their tensile strength.

The invention can be implemented in various embodiments.

According to a first embodiment, the kerf is wave-shaped.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, it is particularly expedient if the kerf has sawtooth-like sections. The triangular design of the sections causes the entrainment effect in one direction of rotation and a sliding effect in the other direction of rotation.

It is particularly expedient in this exemplary embodiment if the sawtooth-like sections of the kerf each have a steep front flank in the screw-on direction, which is followed by a flat, falling flank.

In this embodiment, when the cap is screwed onto the container, the steep front flank of the sawtooth-like sections results in firm entrainment of the tamper-evident element, while when unscrewing (opening the closure) the flat flanks slide against one another and thus increase the axial length of the closure cap, which causes an expansion of the tear-off webs and finally leads to the webs being torn off.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, the alternating sections of the kerf are designed as quadrangular (square or rectangular) sections. Here, too, the axially parallel front edge of the sections brings about a firm entrainment effect when the closure cap is applied to the container.

In a still further modification of the invention, the kerf can consist of semi-trapezoidal sections. It is advantageous if the half-trapezoidal sections each have an axially parallel front edge and a sloping end Have trailing edge in relation to the direction of rotation. This design also ensures that the axially parallel leading edges result in a firm entrainment connection during the screwing-on (locking) process, while when twisting (opening the locking) sliding on the sloping rear edges and thus a forced enlargement of the axial Length until the tear-off webs tear off.

Instead of the semi-trapezoidal sections, trapezoidal sections can also be provided according to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention.

• Fig. 1 in Seitenansicht schematisch ein erstes Ausführungsbeispiel mit wellenartiger Schnittfuge,
• Fig. 2 einen Schnitt durch ein Ausführungsbeispiel gemäss Fig. 1,
• Fig. 3 ein Ausführungsbeispiel mit sägezahnartiger Schnittfuge,
• Fig. 4 ein Ausführungsbeispiel mit rechteckiger (quadratischer) Ausbildung der Schnittfuge,
• Fig. 5 ein noch weiteres Ausführungsbeispiel mit halbtrapezartigen Zacken, und
• Fig. 6 ein noch weiteres Ausführungsbeispiel mit trapezartiger Schnittfuge.

Further details, features and advantages of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the drawing, which schematically represents exemplary embodiments. It shows:

• 1 schematically shows a side view of a first embodiment with a wave-like kerf,
• 2 shows a section through an embodiment according to FIG. 1,
• 3 shows an embodiment with a sawtooth-like kerf,
• 4 shows an embodiment with a rectangular (square) design of the kerf,
• Fig. 5 shows yet another embodiment with semi-trapezoidal teeth, and
• Fig. 6 shows yet another embodiment with a trapezoidal kerf.

1 shows an embodiment of a cap 1 according to the invention, an tamper-evident element 3 being connected to an upper cap part 2 via a kerf 5 in the form of a shaft 17. The waveform 17 can, as shown, run sinusoidally or also be formed from one-sided half-waves (not shown).

FIG. 2 shows the embodiment according to FIG. 1 in section, the cap 1 in the left half being designed as a push-on cap which is clamped onto an associated mouth of a bottle-like container. A modified exemplary embodiment is shown in the right half of FIG. 2, in which the closure cap 1 has an internal thread 7 for connection to an external thread on the associated bottle-like container.

In the schematic representation in FIG. 2, it is indicated that in the area of the kerf 5, by means of a corresponding design of the associated cutting tool, tear-off webs 4 projecting inwards or wall parts omitted from the kerf 5 are provided. By appropriate design of the cutting tool it can be achieved that the webs 4 are formed by wall parts pressed into the interior of the cap 1.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 3, the kerf 5 has sawtooth-like sections 8. The design is preferably such that the sawtooth-like sections 8 have a steep, essentially axially parallel, front flank 9 with respect to the screw-on direction according to arrow A, which is followed by a flat, falling flank 10. It is thereby achieved that the front flank 9 of the upper sawtooth-like section of the cap part 2 exerts an entrainment effect on the corresponding axially parallel section of the lower sawtooth of the tamper-evident element 3. When opening the lock, i.e. when the cap 2 is unscrewed from the container, the respective flat flanks 9 slide against one another, so that an increase in the axial length between the upper part of the cap 1 and the lower edge of the tamper-evident element 3 occurs, whereby the tear-off webs 4 are stretched to such an extent that they tear off in the desired manner. The tamper-evident part 3 then remains on the container, even if the cap part 2 is unscrewed (the container is opened).

4 shows a simplified exemplary embodiment in which the kerf 5 is in the form of regular squares (squares or rectangles) 11. The entrainment effect of the axially parallel leading edges is the same as in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 3, while considerably greater forces are required to turn back or tear off the tamper-evident element 3 than in the sawtooth-like sections 8, 9, 10 of the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 3.

5 shows yet another exemplary embodiment, in which the sections of the kerf 5 are designed as semi-trapezoidal sections, preferably with a steep or axially parallel front edge 13 with respect to the direction of rotation of the arrow B. Here too, the steep section is entrained Front edges of the half-trapezoidal sections 12 of the upper cap part 2 in the screwing (closing) direction onto the corresponding vertical parts of the half-trapezoidal sections 13 of the tamper-evident element 3. The opening (unscrewing) of the closure cap 1 is facilitated by the sliding of the oblique rear edges 14 against one another.

Finally, FIG. 6 shows a simplified embodiment analogous to the embodiment of FIG. 5, in which the kerf 5 is in the form of regular trapezoidal sections 15.

The design of the kerf 5 according to the invention is independent of the other design of the cap 1. For example, a cap with gripping ribs 16 is shown in FIG. 1. The cap 1 can be provided on the inside with sealing elements. Furthermore, the cap 1 can also be designed for pipetting bottles, with a pipetting element reaching through the upper cap base. The cap part 2 can be conical or stepped.

Reference symbol list

• 1 Kappe
• 2 oberer Kappenteil
• 3 Originalitätssicherungselement
• 4 Abreisssteg

Bezugszeichenliste

• 5 Schnittfuge
• 6 Kappenmantel
• 7 Gewinde
• 8 sägezahnartigerAbschnitt
• 9 steile Vorderflanke
• 10 flache Flanke
• 11 quadratischer Abschnitt
• 12 halbtrapezartiger Abschnitt
• 13 achsparallele Vorderkante
• 14 schräge Hinterkante
• 15 trapezartiger Abschnitt
• 16 Greifrippe
• 17 wellenförmige Schnittfuge

• 1 cap
• 2 upper cap part
• 3 tamper-evident element
• 4 tear-off bar

Reference symbol list

• 5 kerf
• 6 cap jacket
• 7 threads
• 8 sawtooth-like section
• 9 steep front flank
• 10 flat flanks
• 11 square section
• 12 semi-trapezoidal section
• 13 axially parallel leading edge
• 14 sloping rear edge
• 15 trapezoidal section
• 16 gripping rib
• 17 wavy kerf

Claims (8)

1. Closure cap, particularly for bottle-like containers, with an originality retaining element (3) connected to a cap part (2) by tear-off webs (4) and which remains on the container after the closure has been opened for the first time by tearing of the tear-off webs (4), characterised in that a cut joint (5) which separates the originality retaining element (3) from the cap part (2) has over its entire periphery uninterruptedly and periodically alternating portions (8, 11, 12, 15, 17) and in that there are between the originality retaining element (3) and the cap part (2) inwardly projecting tear-off webs (4) disposed in the cap shell (6), the inter-engaging portions serving as entraining means when the container is sealed.

2. Cap according to Claim 1, characterised in that the cut joint (17) is of undulating construction.

- 3. Cap according to Claim 1, characterised in that the cut joint (5) has sawtooth-shaped portions (8).

4. Cap according to Claim 3, characterised in that the sawtooth-shaped portions (8) of the cut joint (5) have in the screw-on direction steep front flanks (9) each of which has adjacent to it a gradually falling trailing flank (10).

5. Cap according to Claim 1, characterised in that the alternating portions of the cut joint (5) are constructed as quadralateral (square or rectangular) portions (11).

6. Cap according to Claim 1, characterised in that the cut joint (5) is formed from semi-trapezoidal portions (12).

7. Cap according to Claim 6, characterised in that the semitrapezoidal portions (12) each comprise in reference to the direction of rotation an axially parallel leading edge (13) and an oblique falling trailing edge (14).

8. Cap according to Claim 1, characterised in that the cut joint (5) consists of trapezoidal portions (15).

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