EP0592506B1 - Plastic closure for containers with tamper indicating element - Google Patents

Abstract

A plastic closure for containers is proposed which has a closure panel (3), a shell (5) starting from said closure panel, and a tamper-proof region which is provided in the edge region (7) of the shell, is constructed as a tamper-proof ring (9) and is provided with at least one vertical incision (29) extending over the height of the tamper-proof region. The closure is distinguished by the fact that the arrangement of the vertical incision (29) depends on particular shape features, preferably on the arrangement of the holding webs (15) of the closure (1), and said vertical incision is cut into the wall (27) of the tamper-proof ring (9). <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a method for producing a plastic closure according to the preamble of claim 1 and a device for producing a plastic closure according to the preamble of claim 4 and finally a plastic closure for containers with the features mentioned in the preamble of claim 18 (known from US-A-4,666,053).

Numerous plastic closures are known (DE G 87 09 690.0; US Pat. No. 4,666,053) which are used to close any container. The closures are provided with a guarantee ring, which is intended to indicate the integrity of the sealed container. In a first attempt to open the guarantee ring is blown open, so that a consumer can easily see that the container is no longer originally sealed.

In the case of closures produced in a molding process (DE G 87 09 690.0 U1), it has been shown that the zones of reduced wall thickness that tear when the guarantee ring is opened, which are also referred to as vertical incisions, ultimately have no defined wall thickness, so that the tear behavior of the closure does not can be predicted with certainty. In the case of closures which have tear-open zones defined by a cutting process (US Pat. No. 4,666,053), it is in many cases not possible to introduce the bursting forces which arise when opening the first time into defined areas of the guarantee ring in order to ensure safe tearing. In both cases it is therefore possible that a first opening of the container is not displayed to the consumer.

Finally, metal closures are known (see U.S. Patent 4,217,989) which are subjected to both a molding and a cutting process in a single manufacturing process. However, such methods are not applicable to plastic closures of the type mentioned here, since the plastic molding process cannot be combined with a cutting process.

Dimensional differences naturally occur in the manufacture of the closures and the associated containers. It is possible that an inside of the tolerance band lying closure with maximum inner diameter is combined with a container whose outer diameter is within the tolerance range, but has the smallest possible outer diameter. In such a case, it is possible that when the container is opened for the first time, insufficient bursting forces are exerted on the guarantee ring or on the guarantee area, so that it slides undamaged over the outer wall or the mouth area of the container when the closure is opened for the first time. This is due in particular to the fact that the so-called vertical incisions, by means of which the guarantee area is divided into at least two segments, are too rigid due to the manufacturing process.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method and a device for producing a plastic closure and a plastic closure of the type mentioned at the outset so that the disadvantages mentioned do not occur.

The stated object is achieved by a method for producing a plastic closure for containers, which has the features mentioned in claim 1. The method is characterized in that the closure is mechanically detected in a certain position, which is dependent on pre-features on the closure before the cutting process. To separate the guarantee area from the rest of the casing of the closure, a circumferential horizontal cut is made mechanically at a predetermined location on the lower hem of the casing, which cuts through the wall of the casing completely or almost entirely. In addition, at least one vertical incision perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the guarantee area is cut by machine in order to separate individual segments from one another. The vertical incision is assigned to the specific shape features at a specified distance. It is essential that with these methods the vertical incision is not produced by a weakening of the material in the guarantee area, which can be produced, for example, by an injection molding process, but that cuts are actually made in the guarantee area so that a defined weakening of the material is predetermined. This can be determined much more precisely than with a spraying process. The vertical incisions are therefore not produced by a spraying process but by a subsequent cutting process, so that the holding forces in the area of the vertical incision can be predicted very precisely. moreover, by the exact positioning of the vertical incisions the blasting forces arising there are precisely predetermined. In this way, tampering with the container can be excluded with a high degree of certainty without damaging the guarantee ring.

An embodiment of the method is particularly preferred in which the vertical incisions are cut into the wall of the guarantee area or the guarantee ring depending on the arrangement of the retaining webs. The retaining bars remain intact when the container is opened for the first time. The end regions of the ring segments held by the holding webs are maximally deflected both in the axial and in the radial direction, so that the greatest force of expansion occurs here. Because the vertical incisions are arranged here, it is very likely that they will be blown open.

Additional developments of the method result from the remaining subclaims.

The stated object is also achieved by the creation of a device which serves to produce a plastic closure with a guarantee ring for containers and which has the features mentioned in claim 4. The device is characterized by a centering device, which detects and holds the closure positioned in dependence on its shape characteristics, while the closure is brought into engagement with the cutting device.

A device is particularly preferred, the centering device of which has both an outer centering device and an inner centering device, the former sensing features on the outer surface and the latter sensing shape on the inner surface of the closure. In this way, a universal detection of shape features of the closure is possible, which can either be arranged on the outside or on the inside surface of the closure or are provided on both sides.

A device is particularly preferred which is characterized in that the inner centering device is designed such that the inner contours of the closure can only be tapped after the outer contours have been detected. The double scanning of shape features on the outside and then on the inside of the closure results in a particularly secure positioning of the closure before the vertical incisions are made in the wall of the guarantee ring.

Further configurations of the device result from the remaining subclaims.

Finally, this object is also achieved with the aid of a plastic closure which has the features mentioned in claim 18. The closure is characterized by three ring segments, retaining bars and vertical incisions. The latter are at equal distances from the holding webs, as seen in the circumferential direction, and are subsequently cut into the wall of the guarantee area, depending on the position of the holding webs. By cutting the vertical incisions in the wall of the guarantee area depending on the retaining webs, it can be ensured on the one hand that the material thickness in the vertical incision corresponds exactly to the desired conditions and that on the other hand the through the line of weakness created in the guarantee area is arranged in such a way that the bursting forces generated when the closure is first opened are introduced precisely into this area. In this way, malfunctions of the closure can be practically ruled out. Every time an attempt is made to open an originally closed container, the guarantee area is broken open so that the consumer can recognize tampering.

An exemplary embodiment of a closure is particularly preferred, which is characterized in that the position of the vertical incisions is selected as a function of the arrangement of the holding webs which hold the ring segments which arise when they burst open on the jacket of the closure. By selecting the distance of the vertical incisions to the retaining webs, which do not tear off when the guarantee ring is opened, the vertical incisions are placed in an area of the guarantee ring which is deflected to the maximum extent when opened for the first time, both in the axial and in the radial direction. This ensures that the vertical cuts are blown open.

An embodiment of the closure in which the vertical incisions are bridged by webs is particularly preferred. This prevents the vertical incisions from being damaged after the closure has been manufactured during its storage or transport, but also when it is first put on, so that a consumer may be wrongly tampering with the container must close. This increases the security of tampering even further.

Further configurations of the closure result from the remaining subclaims.

Figur 1

einen Längsschnitt durch einen Verschluß;

Figur 2

eine Draufsicht auf einen entlang der in Figur 1 eingezeichneten Linie II-II abgeschnittenen Garantiering und

Figur 3

einen Längsschnitt durch eine Vorrichtung zur Herstellung eines Verschlusses gemäß Figur 1.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. Show it:

Figure 1

a longitudinal section through a closure;

Figure 2

a plan view of a guarantee ring cut along the line II-II shown in Figure 1 and

Figure 3

2 shows a longitudinal section through a device for producing a closure according to FIG. 1.

The closure described below can be used universally. It is preferably used to close bottles that are provided with a screw thread on the outside below their mouth area and also have a projection that interacts with corresponding barbs on the inner surface of the guarantee ring.

Figure 1 shows a cross section through a closure 1 before it is applied to a container to be closed. The closure has a closure mirror 3, which is followed by an all-round closed jacket 5. In the lower hem region 7 of the jacket 5 there is provided a warranty area, which is designed here as a guarantee ring 9 and is connected to the rest of the jacket by means of tear-off webs 11, the tear-off webs spanning a predetermined breaking line 13, which is produced by a horizontally running cut made in the wall of the jacket 5 is.

The predetermined breaking line 13 is also spanned by a retaining web 15, which is practically over the the entire amount of the guarantee ring 9. The tear-off webs 11 and the holding web 15 are formed by material strips which are applied to the inner surface of the jacket and run in the longitudinal direction of the closure. It can be seen from FIG. 1 that the tear-off webs are designed to be substantially narrower than the holding web, which is assigned to a ring segment which is created by the safety ring 9 being opened.

A seal 17 is provided on the underside of the closure mirror, which is prevented from moving relative to the closure mirror 3 or the closure 1 by retaining cams 19 protruding into it. In addition, a plurality of webs 21, which rise from the inner surface of the jacket, are provided, which hold the seal 17 in the intended location. After the closure 1 has been placed on a container to be closed, the seal engages with its mouth region and thus seals it.

On the inner surface of the jacket 5, threads 23 can be seen, which mesh with a corresponding external thread on the outside of the container.

On the outside on the outer surface of the jacket, ribs 25 are provided which extend in the axial direction and increase the grip of the closure 1.

Vertical incisions 29 are made in the wall 27 of the guarantee ring 9 and do not extend over the entire height of the guarantee ring.

At least one bridging web 31 remains in each case, which forms a connection between the end regions of the ring segments 33 separated by the vertical incisions 29.

The bridging webs 31 can be formed in that, when the vertical incisions 29 are made, a knife is provided with a groove which leaves an area of the wall 27 of the guarantee ring 9 intact. It is also possible for a radially inwardly offset web to be applied to the inner surface of the guarantee ring 9 in the region of the vertical incisions, which, like the tear-off webs and the holding web 15, remains intact during a cutting process with a defined depth.

From the inner surface 35 of the guarantee ring 9, protrusions 37 run obliquely downwards, which are provided on their upper side with stiffening ribs 39 which, starting from the front side 41 of the protrusions 37, slope down in a direction towards the inner surface 35 of the guarantee ring 9 and in one Pass the distance in front of this inner surface into the surface of the projections 37. The front surface of the stiffening ribs 39 forms a common stop surface with the front surface of the projections 37.

The projections 37 are designed in such a way that they arise at a distance from a holding web 15 from the inner surface 35 of the guarantee ring and, on their side facing the holding web, slope away at an angle Side edges 43 are provided. The side edges 45 provided on the opposite side of the projections form a right angle with the inner surface 35 of the guarantee ring 9. The distance between these side edges 45 and a vertical incision 29 lying directly next to them is considerably smaller than that of the adjacent holding web 15.

It can be seen from FIG. 1 that in the immediate vicinity of the vertical incision 29 tear-off webs 11/1 and 11/2 are provided, which prevent the end regions of the ring segments 33 from being accidentally torn off.

On the outside of the seam 7 of the jacket 5, recesses 49 are provided, of which a side edge can be seen in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of a guarantee ring 9 cut off along the line II-II, which is shown in FIG. 1.

The same parts are provided with the same reference numerals in FIGS. 1 and 2, so that their detailed description can be dispensed with.

The cut-off tear-off webs 11 and 11/1 and 11/2 can be seen from the plan view according to FIG. 2, and the section through the holding webs 15 can also be seen.

The top view shows that in the embodiment shown here, a guarantee ring of three Ring segments 33, which are each held by a holding web 15.

In the end regions of the ring segments, V-shaped material recesses 49 can be seen, in the bottom of which the vertical incisions 29 are made. A material weakening predetermined by the manufacturing process is weakened by the targeted incision 29 in a precisely predetermined manner.

From the top view, the grooves 47 can be seen in the outer surface of the guarantee ring 9, which are arranged exactly where the retaining webs 15 are arranged on the inner surface 35 of the guarantee ring 9. The width of the grooves 47 is chosen to be larger than the width of the holding webs, which are arranged centrally in relation to the groove.

From the top view according to FIG. 2 it can be clearly seen that the tear-off webs 11 and the holding webs 15 consist of material areas which are offset radially inwards so that they remain practically intact in a defined horizontal section through the wall 27 of the guarantee ring 9.

It can be deduced in particular from the plan view according to FIG. 2 that the closure 1 or its guarantee ring 9 is provided with a plurality of shaped elements which are arranged on the outer or on the inner surface of the guarantee ring 9. Using these shaped elements, an alignment of the closure can be ensured during the introduction of the vertical incisions 29. As form elements the projections 37 or their side edges 45 and 43 can be used here. The position of the holding webs 15 on the inner surface 35 of the guarantee ring 9 can also be used for the exact alignment of the closure. Finally, the grooves 47 or V-shaped recesses 49 provided on the outer surface of the guarantee ring 9 can be taken into account for the exact positioning of the closure for making the vertical incisions 29. After all, it can be seen that protrusions or depressions can also be provided on the outer surface of the casing 5 of the closure 1 for its positioning.

In the following it is assumed that the grooves 47 provided on the outer surface and the retaining webs 15 provided in these areas on the inner surface 35 of the closure 1 are used for the exact alignment of the closure 1.

The device for producing the plastic closure shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be explained with reference to the sectional illustration in FIG. 3.

The tool 50 has a housing 51 which can be coupled to a drive which sets the housing 51 in rotational and translational movement. Here, the tool 50 can be rotated about the rotational or longitudinal axis 53. A translational movement is carried out along this axis.

The housing 51 is preferably cylindrical, in particular circular cylindrical. It is provided with a through hole which serves to receive an inner centering device 55.

On the right end face of the housing 51, a holder 57 for an external centering 59 is introduced into a suitable recess.

The inner centering device 55 has a guide sleeve 61 which is introduced into the through hole 51. The guide sleeve 61 can be displaced in the axial direction within the housing 51 against the force of a spring element 63 designed as a helical spring. The helical spring is supported on corresponding projections both on the guide sleeve 61 and in the through bore of the housing 51. A groove 65 made in the inner wall of the housing 51 and a spring 67 extending from the guide sleeve 61 prevent the two elements from rotating relative to one another .

In the interior of the guide sleeve 61, a fixing device 65 'is provided which has a pressure ram 67' penetrating the inner centering device 55 and an abutment 69 which is anchored in the interior of the guide sleeve 61, for example by a screw connection. A helical spring 71 is supported in the interior of the abutment 69 and, by means of a resilient force, pushes the pressure ram 67 'out of the end face of the inner centering device 55. The stamp is held by a suitable bearing device 73 so that it is already held by a small counterforce during a rotational movement of the tool 50 and does not rotate with it. The end of the pressure plunger located inside the tool 50 is held by a bearing 75 which interacts with the helical spring 71 and which in turn is equipped with a bearing 77 in order to ensure decoupling of the rotational movement of the tool 50.

The bearing device 73 is provided with an outer sleeve which is held against rotation in the guide sleeve 61 by the interaction of tongue and groove.

A shaping element 79 is provided on the front side of the inner centering device 55 on the right in FIG. 3, the outer contour of which is adapted to the inner contour of a closure to be detected, which is not shown here. In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the outer contour of the molded element 79 is designed such that, for example, the retaining webs 15 of the closure shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are received by a corresponding groove 81 which is arranged on the outer surface of the molded element 79.

The shaped element 79 is interchangeable, so that several differently designed closures can be gripped with the tool 50.

The external centering device 59 has a scanning element 85 which is elastically displaceable in the direction of the central axis 53 against the force of a spring element 83 and which comprises a sensing pin 87. This scans the outer surface of the closure and is designed so that it fits into the groove 47 provided in this outer surface.

In the following, the implementation of the method and the function of the device are discussed in more detail:

A closure, as shown with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, is fed to the tool 50, the closure mirror 3 facing away from the end face of the tool, so that the pressure ram 67 ′ approaches the interior of the closure 1 when the tool 50 approaches engages and comes to rest on the inner surface of the closure mirror 3.

To scan the outer contours of the closure 1, either the closure is rotated relative to the tool or, as here, the tool 50 is rotated relative to the closure 1.

In the rest position of the tool, which is shown in FIG. 3, the pressure ram 67 'protrudes beyond the end face of the inner centering device 55, and the feeler pin 87 of the outer centering device 59 also projects beyond the end face thereof.

When the tool approaches the closure, this is replaced by one of the pressure stamp exerted pressure force fixed in its holder and held against rotation. As a result of the rotation of the tool 50, the feeler pin 87 of the outer centering device 59 now engages with the outer contour of the closure 1 until the feeler pin 87 engages in the groove 47 provided on the outer surface. The holder of the closure is designed so that the closure now rotates synchronously with the tool 50 within its holder.

By means of a suitable actuating device, not shown here, the guide sleeve 61 is now displaced to the right against the force of the helical spring 63 in the direction of the axis of rotation of the tool 53, so that the inner centering device 55 or its shaped element 79 moves into the interior of the closure. Due to the fixed assignment between the outer centering device 59 and the inner centering device 55, the inner centering device can engage in the inner contour of the closure without further readjustment.

It is thus ensured that when the feeler pin 87 engages in the groove 47 of the closure, the groove 81 on the shaped element 79 is in register with the retaining web 15 of a closure. Of course, three such grooves 81 are provided on the outer surface of the molding 79 in this embodiment, so that when the inner centering 55 is inserted into the interior of the closure 1 the grooves 81 capture the retaining webs 15.

The inner centering is now advanced so far that the end face of the molded element 79 lowers to the bottom of the closure and this is held securely. With such an introduction of the inner centering into the interior of the closure, the projections 37 are folded inwards so that they are pivoted obliquely upwards in the direction of the inside of the closure mirror 3. As a result, the closure 1 holds securely on the shaped element 79 of the inner centering device 55. After the inner centering has snapped into place, the outer centering moves up in order to release the outer or outer surface of the closure for the cutting process.

It can now be introduced with the aid of a cutting device, the predetermined breaking line 13 through a horizontal cut into the hem region 7 of the casing 5, the depth of cut being matched to the thickness of the wall 27 such that the knife has the radially inwardly separated tear-off webs 11 and the holding webs 15 not or not significantly injured.

The outer surface of the molding 79 is designed so that it serves as an abutment for the cutting device in both the horizontal and vertical cuts.

After the horizontal cut has been made, the closure 1, due to its orientation on the inner centering device 55, can be fed to the cutting device in a predetermined position so that it subsequently makes the vertical incisions 29 in the wall 27 of the guarantee ring 9. The drive of the tool 50 is designed so that it can be brought to the knife of the cutting device in a precise orientation.

After all, it can be seen that the interaction of the outer centering device 59 with the inner centering device 55 enables an exact positional orientation of the closure 1 to be achieved, so that the cuts required to delimit the guarantee ring 9 in ring segments can be performed with high precision.

Because a relative rotation between the outer centering device 59 rigidly connected to the sleeve 51 relative to the guide sleeve 61 of the inner centering device 55 is not possible, the inner centering device or its shaped element 79 can be inserted into the interior of the closure with the help of the feeler pin 87 after the outer contour has been detected the orientation of the closure is retained.

By the rest position of the tool 50 shown in FIG. 3, in which the pressure ram 67 'or fixing device 65 the end face of the molding element 79 dominated with the feeler pin 87 ensures that the closure 1 is initially held securely in its holder by the pressure stamp, while the feeler pin 87 rotating with the tool 50 scans the outer contours of the closure. As soon as the feeler pin engages in the associated groove 47, the driving force of the tool 50 becomes so great that the closure in its holder is rotated together with the tool. In this way, the inner centering can be safely introduced into the rotating cap. In the end position, in which the inner centering device 55 is completely extended by advancing the guide sleeve 61, the inner centering projects beyond both the end face of the pressure plunger and the feeler pin of the outer centering device 59, so that there is no longer any fear of the closure itself being displaced by the tool itself . Moreover, the feed movement of the inner centering device 55 ensures that the cutting device does not come into engagement with the outer centering tool when the horizontal cut is made to produce the predetermined breaking line 13 or when the longitudinal incisions 29 are made in the longitudinal direction. This prevents damage to both the cutting device and the tool 50.

If no knife with a groove is used when introducing the vertical incisions 29, through which areas or webs 31 bridging the vertical incisions remain, A knife with a continuous cutting edge can also be used if, on the inner surface 35 of the guarantee ring 9, similar to the tear-off webs 11 and the holding webs 15, radially inwardly displaced material areas are provided, which are not damaged or at least damaged during the cutting process with a defined depth remain essentially uncut.

To increase the effectiveness of the device or the manufacturing method, the tool 50 can be introduced into a machining star, to which the closures to be machined are fed in a known manner.

After all, it is readily apparent that the manufacturing process and the device can be used regardless of which outer or inner contours are used for scanning when the vertical incisions are made in the closure. It is only necessary that the relative arrangement of the scanned contours or shape features to the position of the vertical incisions to be introduced is known, so that the merging of tool 50 and cutting device, which is not shown here, can be carried out accordingly so that the vertical incisions in the Desired, predeterminable position can be introduced. For example, they can be placed on the end regions of two adjacent ring segments 33, so that these end regions are held by the tear-off webs 11/1 and 11/2, the cut of the vertical incisions 29 is preferably introduced into the bottom of the V-shaped recess 49. In this way, relatively little material can be cut, so that the service life of the knives is significantly increased.

In the design of the tool 50 described here, or when carrying out the manufacturing process according to the type described here, it is ensured that the vertical incisions 29 are arranged in the immediate vicinity between the side edges 45 of the projections 37 that drop perpendicularly to the inner surface 35, where when the opening is first opened Closure the maximum force is introduced into the guarantee ring. Even if the vertical incisions through the bridging webs 31 are given a certain strength, it is ensured that the guarantee ring 9 of the closure 1 is opened when it is opened for the first time. The barbed projections 37 engage under the aforementioned projection on the outside of the container and lead to axial and radial expansion forces on the guarantee ring, so that the latter is blown open. In the exemplary embodiment shown in the figures, the retaining webs lie in the pivot and pivot point of the ring segments 33 and remain intact when the guarantee ring is opened. They are designed so firmly that they keep the opened ring segments in their pivoted position so that the consumer can easily see manipulations on the closure.

Finally, it should be noted that in individual areas of application in which the positioning of the vertical incisions is less critical, the external centering can be dispensed with. In this case, the inner centering device 55 is moved against the closure fixed by a holder until the shaped element 79 engages in the given inner contours of the closure and holds it securely.

From what has been said above, it is readily apparent that a vertical incision can subsequently be made in a plastic closure, which is produced, for example, in a plastic injection molding or compression molding process, at a precisely predeterminable point. The positioning of the vertical incision depends on the shape features attached to the inside and / or outside of the closure, which can be scanned using a suitable device.

When making the vertical incision, it is very possible to provide only a guarantee area that does not extend over the entire circumferential line at the lower hem of the jacket, but is, for example, assigned to an arc-shaped circumferential area that has an opening angle of 60 ° to 240 °, preferably of 180 ° or 120 °. The vertical incision is preferably placed in the middle of such a guarantee area, that is to say in an area which is subjected to a maximum axial and radial displacement when the closure is opened for the first time. On this ensures that the vertical incision is blown open the first time it is opened, so that manipulations on the closure can be easily recognized by consumers. The end areas of such a guarantee area are firmly connected to the rest of the jacket. In this case, there is no need for holding bars which hold the segments after the vertical cut has been opened. Rather, the segments are firmly connected to the rest of the closure via their end regions and cannot be lost.

An important aspect is that the vertical incisions can thus be subsequently introduced into finished plastic closures, with a precisely predeterminable positioning being maintained so that deformations which occur when the closure is opened for the first time are introduced precisely into the vertical incision.

It goes without saying that closures can also be implemented, which also have two guarantee areas, which when opened for the first time are broken open into segments which in turn are held by retaining webs. Finally, as shown in the figures, it is also possible to implement the closure with a plurality of guarantee ring segments distributed around the circumference of the lower hem, which form a circumferential guarantee ring.

The introduction of the vertical incisions can ultimately be independent of the special design of the one used for the positioning Shape features take place. The exact arrangement of the vertical incisions can be adhered to in any case, the shape features being able to be arranged on the inside and / or on the outside surface of the closure.

Due to the exact positioning of the vertical incisions described here, the horizontal cut, which extends over a circumferential area or along the entire circumference and through which the guarantee area or a guarantee ring is produced, can be made in an independent, independent process step during their manufacture. In particular, completely separate cutting devices can be used for making the two cuts (horizontal cut or vertical cut), so that the requirements for the cutting device can be relatively low and it can be produced inexpensively.

It has been found that, in particular in the case of the particularly stable design of the projections 37 with the aid of stiffening ribs 39 provided on the upper side thereof, very high bursting forces can be introduced into the vertical incisions. The combination of the exact positioning of the vertical incisions and the introduction of particularly high blasting forces into the areas provided with vertical incisions makes it possible to achieve an extremely high level of functional reliability, due to which manipulations of the closure can be done with great certainty to cause the vertical incisions to burst open lead so that consumers can recognize an original closed container with high certainty.

Claims (18)

1. A method of producing a plastic closure (1) for containers, with a flat closure surface (3), an outer case (5) which extends therefrom, and with a security region which is provided in the border region (7) of the outer case and has at least one vertical indentation (29) made in a cutting process downstream of the manufacture of the closure, characterised in that the closure is mechanically grasped in a specific position which is dependent on shape features of the closure present on the closure prior to the cutting process, in that a horizontal cut extending in a circumferential direction of the outer case and entirely or almost entirely cutting through the wall of the outer case is made mechanically at a predetermined point on the lower border of the outer case in order to create the security region of the closure, in that at least one vertical indentation extending perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the security region is mechanically cut into the security region in order to produce individual segments, and in that the vertical indentation is correlated with the specific shape features at a designated distance therefrom.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the shape features selected to determine the position of the vertical indentation are spider legs and/or projections or depressions on the interior and/or exterior face of the outer case of the closure.
3. A method as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the closure is first positioned in dependence on the position of the projections or depressions on the exterior face of the outer case and is then aligned in dependence on the spider legs which preferably project on the interior face.
4. Apparatus for the manufacture of a container closure which is made of plastic and is provided with a flat closure surface, an outer case which extends therefrom, and with a security region which is provided in the border region of the outer case and has at least one vertical indentation, characterised by a centring device (55; 59) which grasps and holds the closure (1) in position during a relative rotary movement in dependence on shape features (15) provided on the interior and/or exterior side thereof while said closure - according to its positioning - is engaged with a cutting device.
5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the centring device has an exterior centring device (59) with an exterior scanning device (87) which detects shape features disposed on the exterior face of the closure (1), and/or an interior centring device (55) with an interior scanning device (79) which detects shape features disposed on the interior face (35) of the closure (1).
6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that at least the interior centring device (55) is rotatable relative to the closure (1), the axis of rotation (53) of the centring device (55, 59) coinciding with the centre axis of the closure, and in that the centring device can be moved back and forth in the direction of the centre axis of the closure so that the exterior centring device (59), which is preferably movable in a yieldingly resilient manner in the direction of the axis of rotation (53) of the apparatus (50), can be engaged with shape features (47) on the exterior face of the closure (1).
7. Apparatus as claimed in one of claims 4 to 6, characterised in that the centring device (55, 59) is so designed that the interior contours of the closure (1) can be grasped after the exterior contours thereof.
8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the exterior centring device (59) projects beyond the interior centring device (55) in the direction of the closure (1) to be scanned and in that the interior and exterior centring device are mounted so as to be movable towards each other in the direction of the axis of rotation (53).
9. Apparatus as claimed in one of claims 4 to 7, characterised in that a locking device (65, 67) is provided to prevent a relative rotation between the exterior centring device (59) and the interior centring device (55).
10. Apparatus as claimed in one of claims 4 to 9, characterised in that there is provided a retaining device which holds the closure (1) so as to prevent it from twisting during the scanning of shape features provided on the exterior and/or interior side thereof.
11. Apparatus as claimed in one of claims 4 to 10, characterised in that the centring device (55, 59) has a fixing device (65) which holds the closure (1) to be scanned, in the retaining device.
12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that the fixing device has a preferably rotatably mounted plunger (67) which penetrates the centring device (55, 59).
13. Apparatus as claimed in one of claims 4 to 12, characterised by a preferably circular cylindrical housing (51), which accommodates the individual structural units and is connectable to both a rotary drive and a drive which effects the feed motion along the axis of rotation and centre axis (53) of the tool (50).
14. Apparatus as claimed in one of claims 4 to 13, characterised in that the cutting device is used to make the horizontal cut (13) and/or the vertical indentations (29).
15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, characterised in that the cutting device can be actuated in such a way that a blade cutting the vertical indentations (29) can be moved towards the closure (1) held by the centring device (55).
16. Apparatus as claimed in one of claims 4 to 15, characterised in that the interior centring device (55) can be moved relative to the exterior centring device (59) in such a way that the cutting device has unrestricted access to the exterior side of the closure (1).
17. Apparatus as claimed in one of claims 4 to 16, characterised in that the cutting device is so designed that, when the vertical indentations (29) are cut, there remain intact regions, preferably bridging ridges (31), which bridge the vertical indentations (29).
18. A plastic closure (1) for containers, with a flat closure surface (3), with an outer case (5) which extends therefrom and, provided in the border region (7) of the outer case, with a security region, with at least one vertical indentation (29), characterised in that there are provided three annular members (33) and three spider legs (15) and accordingly three vertical indentations (29), which are each spaced equal distances apart from the spider legs in a circumferential direction and which, positioned in dependence on the spider legs (15), are subsequently cut into the wall (27) of the security region (9).

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