EP0590908A2

EP0590908A2 - Improvements relating to bottle caps

Info

Publication number: EP0590908A2
Application number: EP93307634A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jack Frank Pennell; David Neil Wragg
Original assignee: Ryford Ltd
Current assignee: Ryford Ltd
Priority date: 1992-09-29
Filing date: 1993-09-21
Publication date: 1994-04-06
Also published as: EP0590908A3; GB2271103B; GB2271103A; GB9220558D0

Abstract

A cap (4) comprises a circular wall (6), a cylindrical side wall (8), and a tamper evident ring (10) secured to the wall (8) by fracturable tabs. The interior of the wall is threaded (12), which in the preferred embodiment is three-start. Uniformly spaced around the ring (10) are three location formations (14), so arranged that the distance X between each pair of formations as measured between outer tangents thereto is approximately the same as, or slightly smaller than, the diameter Y in the corresponding part of the cylindrical wall from which the formations (10) extend. The caps may be fed in serial array, and by utilising a guide means which is engaged by the location means, each cap may be fed in turn over the neck of a filled bottle with the cap and neck in axial alignment, and with the threads of the cap in a known, desired relationship with the threads of the neck, and by pressure alone the cap may be fitted onto the neck so as to be of in sealing engagement therewith.

Description

This invention is concerned with improvements relating to bottle caps, particularly of the kind (hereinafter referred to as being of the kind specified) which are provided with an internal screw thread, enabling them to be screwed onto the neck of the bottle to sealingly close the bottle and to be unscrewed for dispensing the contents of the bottle.
Bottle caps of the kind specified are conventionally manufactured by a moulding process, and at the appropriate stage in the bottling operation, are screwed onto the neck by machine. This is a slow and cumbersome operation, and moreover suffers from the disadvantage of ensuring that the cap is tightly sealed.
According to this invention there is provided a bottle cap of the kind specified, comprising circumferential location means to enable the cap to be located in a desired rotational position.
If desired such location of the cap may be utilised simply to correctly align the threads of the cap with the threads on the neck, ensuring proper closure of the cap by a specific amount of rotation.
Alternatively and desirably by so locating the cap, particularly in an orientation in relation to the threads on the neck of the bottle, the cap may be pressed onto the neck, the threads of the cap being deformed over the threads of the bottle into the axial and orien- tational position which would be adapted by the cap had it been screwed onto the neck properly.
According to this invention there is also provided a method of applying a bottle cap of the kind specified to the neck of a bottle, in which the cap is positioned adjacent to the neck in axial alignment therewith in a specific rotational orientation, and pressing the cap onto the neck.
Preferably said method involves conveying the caps in serial array utilising a guide means which is engaged by the location means and causes the caps to be orientated into a desired position.
According to this invention there is also provided, in combination, a bottle a neck of which is exteriorally threaded, and a cap capable of being screw threaded onto and from the neck, wherein the cap is provided with location means enabling the cap to be rotationally oriented into a desired position in relation to the start of the thread or threads.
Preferably where the thread is multi-start, a plurality of location means are provided, preferably one corresponding to each thread start.
Preferably the location means comprises a formation projecting radially from the cap, preferably from a cylindrical wall thereof.
Where the cap comprises a tamper-evident ring, conveniently the location means is located on the tamper-evident ring.
Where there are three location formations, preferably they are arranged at 120° radial separation, and are preferably so arranged that the distance between them is close to, preferably slightly smaller than, the diameter of the wall on which they are mounted, so that the location formations may cooperated with guide means to cause the caps to adapt a specific orientation.
There will now be given a detailed description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of a bottle cap which is the preferred embodiment of this invention, having been selected for the purposes of illustrating the invention by way of example.
In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment;
FIGURE 2 is a sectional viewthereof taken on the line 2 - 2 of Figure 1; and
FIGURE 3 is a view showing the use of the location means of the caps in moving the caps into a desired orientation.

The cap 4 which is the preferred embodiment of the invention is generally conventional, comprising a circular wall 6, a cylindrical side wall 8, and a tamper-evident ring 10 secured to the wall 8 by easily fracturable tabs. On the interior the wall 8 is provided with thread formations 12, which in the preferred embodiment are three-start.
Spaced uniformly around the ring 10 are three location formations 14, so arranged that the distance X between each pair of formations as measured between outer tangents thereto, is approximately the same as, or slightly smaller than, the diameter Y in the corresponding part of the cylindrical wall from which the formations 10 extend.
In this manner as a plurality of caps are fed along guide means, between convergent walls W thereof spaced apart over a parallel region by a distance very slightly larger than the distances X and Y, the caps will be rotated into the orientation as shown.
In this manner each cap may be fed in turn over the neck of a filled bottle, with the cap and the neck in axial alignment, with the threads of the cap in a known, desired relationship with the threads of the neck, and by pressure alone the cap may be fitted onto the neck so as to be in sealing engagement therewith, the design of the tamper-evident ring facilitating this operation.
Subsequently the cap may be unscrewed from the neck, causing the tamper evident ring to fracture, and may subsequently be used to reclose the bottle.
By the use of the invention greater reliability of sealing may be obtained, particularly where the threads of the cap and/or neck are resiliently deformable. Alternatively by the use of the invention a cap may be fitted onto a bottle by the use of pressure alone, increasing significantly the speed at which a bottling and capping operation may be effected.

Claims

1. A bottle cap having an internal screw thread (12), and comprising circumferential location means (14) to enable the cap to be located in a desired rotational position.

2. Amethod of applying a bottle cap of the kind comprising an internal screw thread, in which the cap is positioned adjacent to the neck in axial alignment therewith in a specific rotational orientation, and pressing the cap onto the neck.

3. A method according to Claim 2 involving the step of conveying the caps in serial array utilising a guide means (3) which is engaged by the location means (14) and causes the caps to be orientated into a desired position.

4. In combination, a bottle the neck of which is externally threaded, and a cap capable of being screw-threaded onto and from the neck, wherein the cap is provided with location means (14) enabling the cap to be rotationally oriented into a desired position in relation to the start of the thread or threads.

5. The invention according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the thread is multi-start, and a plurality of location means are provided.

6. The invention according to any one of the preceding claims wherein three location means (14) are provided uniformly spaced around the cap.

7. The invention according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the location means comprises one or more formations (14) projecting radially from the cap, preferably from a cylindrical wall (10) thereof.

8. The invention according to any one of the preceding claims, the cap comprising a tamper-evident ring.

9. The invention according to Claim 8 wherein the location means is located on the tamper evident ring.

10. The invention according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the cap comprises three location formations arranged at 120° radial separation, said formations being so arranged that the difference between them is close to, preferably slightly smaller than, the diameter of the wall on which they are mounted.