EP0609171B1 - Child resistant screw cap with tamper band - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a new type of device for closing various containers (flasks, jars, carboys, cans, bottles, etc.), a device which in the following description will be designated by the expression "screw cap", which d on the one hand, has a safety tab which must be torn off during the first use, and on the other hand, includes safety means preventing the container from opening unexpectedly and / or eliminating practically any risk of opening by uninformed people, such as children.

To solve these inviolability and security problems, numerous solutions have been proposed to date.

The simplest solution which makes it possible to solve the problem of inviolability, and which is used in particular in the food field (mineral waters for example), consists in producing screw caps which comprise a tab which the user must tear off during the first use. After removing this tab, the plug is used in the normal way and can be easily screwed on and off by simple rotation.

For dangerous products (pharmaceuticals, chemicals, etc.), it has been proposed to produce plugs which can only be removed if combined antagonistic gestures, for example exerting simultaneously a push and a rotational movement, lateral pressure and rotational movement ....

The solutions provided to date, however, are not entirely satisfactory in that either they lack security or they involve a very complex design and production resulting in high production costs.

However, we have found, and this is the subject of the present invention, a new type of screw cap which makes it possible to solve all of these problems.

• l'un dit "coiffe externe" comportant sur sa périphérie la languette continue pouvant être arrachée lors de la première utilisation;
• l'autre dit "bague vissante" étant encastré à l'intérieur de l'élément précité et comportant sur sa face interne un filet adaptable sur le filet complémentaire prévu autour du goulot du récipient;

les deux éléments précités:

• étant soumis à l'action d'un ensemble formant ressort tendant à les maintenir normalement écartés l'un de l'autre;
• la face supérieure de la bague vissante comportant des butées fixes permettant, en coopération avec des éléments complémentaires prévus sur la face inférieure de la coiffe:
  • d'entraîner l'immobilisation l'un par rapport à l'autre de la bague vissante par rapport à la coiffe lors d'une opération de vissage, élements qui s'échappent automatiquement lors d'une opération de dévissage effectuée sans exercer de pression sur la coiffe externe:

   la solidarisation des deux éléments permettant de dévisser l'ensemble lorsqu'on exerce une pression sur la coiffe externe,
   caractérisé en ce que les éléments complémentaires prévus sur la face inférieure de la coiffe, sont constitués par des cames flexibles et des crans rigides ayant une structure telle que, lors d'une opération de vissage, les cames flexibles normalement déjà au contact avec la surface d'appui des butées fixes, les crans, lors de la rotation de la bague vissante, passant au-dessus du niveau supérieur de ladite bague et ne viennent donc couper aucun élément fixe lors de cette rotation, alors que, en revanche. lorsque l'on souhaite réaliser l'ouverture du récipient, et que l'on appuie sur la bague vissante, on provoque l'écrasement des lames flexibles, les crans rigides venant alors en contact avec les butées fixes alors que les cames flexibles s'esquivent.In general, the invention relates to a new plug of the type disclosed in documents US-A-4,957,210, US-A-3,837,518 and EP-A-0 112,683 and screwable around a cylindrical neck of a container containing any type of product which has at its base a pull-out safety tab allowing the opening of the container during its first use, said cap consisting of two elements integrated one inside the other :

• one said "external cap" comprising on its periphery the continuous tongue which can be torn off during the first use;
• the other said "screw ring" being embedded inside the aforementioned element and comprising on its internal face a thread adaptable on the complementary thread provided around the neck of the container;

the two aforementioned elements:

• being subjected to the action of a spring assembly tending to keep them normally spaced from each other;
• the upper face of the screw ring having fixed stops making it possible, in cooperation with complementary elements provided on the lower face of the cap:
  • cause immobilization relative to each other of the screw ring relative to the cap during a screwing operation, elements which escape automatically during a unscrewing operation carried out without exerting any pressure on the outer cap:

the joining of the two elements making it possible to unscrew the assembly when pressure is exerted on the external cap,
characterized in that the complementary elements provided on the underside of the cap, are constituted by flexible cams and rigid notches having a structure such that, during a screwing operation, the flexible cams normally already in contact with the surface supporting fixed stops, the notches, during the rotation of the screw ring, passing above the upper level of said ring and therefore do not cut any fixed element during this rotation, whereas, on the other hand. when it is desired to open the container, and when the screw ring is pressed, the flexible blades are crushed, the rigid notches then coming into contact with the fixed stops while the flexible cams are dodge.

Thanks to such a particularly simple design assembly, which has only two elements (a cap, a screw ring), the container can be closed as if it were a conventional screw cap, whereas on the other hand , its opening requires the realization of two antagonistic gestures, namely a pressure along the axis of the container and a simultaneous rotation.

The cap structure according to the present invention using flexible cams instead of fixed and rigid elements as in the previous solutions, has many advantages among which we can mention in particular an improvement in safety since a click occurs when we try to unscrew the cap. As a result, this "sound signal", produced with each passage of the flexible cams on the fixed notches, makes the safety of this child-proof cap much more effective.

It should be noted that the structure of the stopper according to the present invention also has the other advantage of being particularly aesthetic, and of having an effective inviolability which is particularly useful when selling products in large areas.

• les figures 1, 2 et 3 illustrent, respectivement vu de dessous, en élévation et de dessus, un bouchon vissable réalisé conformément à l'invention avant la première ouverture du récipient;
• les figures 4 et 5 sont des vues en élévation (partiellement éclatées) et en coupe XX vu de dessus, montrant la structure et le fonctionnement d'un bouchon conforme à l'invention lors de la première opération de fermeture du récipient après remplissage;
• les figures 6 et 7 sont des vues similaires aux figures 4 et 5 lors d'une opération de dévissage après enlèvement de la languette de sécurité.

The invention and the advantages which it brings will however be better understood thanks to the example of embodiment given below by way of non-limiting illustration, illustrated by the appended diagrams in which:

• Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrate, respectively seen from below, in elevation and from above, a screw cap made according to the invention before the first opening of the container;
• Figures 4 and 5 are elevation views (partially exploded) and in section XX seen from above, showing the structure and operation of a cap according to the invention during the first operation of closing the container after filling;
• Figures 6 and 7 are views similar to Figures 4 and 5 during an unscrewing operation after removal of the safety tab.

If reference is made to the appended figures, the invention therefore relates to a "screw cap" designated by the general reference (1) intended to fit around the neck (2) of a container (3) which can contain any type of product, the capacity of said container is not limited and may vary within wide limits depending on the products packaged. If the container can have any general shape, preferably it will be cylindrical, one of its characteristics making it usable with an assembly according to the invention being however that the connection between the neck (2) and the body ( 3) of the container has a cylindrical crown (4) serving as a support surface for the safety tab before the first opening of the container.

The assembly according to the invention consists of two elements, embedded one inside the other, namely an outer cap designated by the general reference (6) and an inner ring, designated by the general reference (7) called "screw ring". The screw ring (7) has on its internal face a thread (8) adaptable to the thread that comprises the neck (2). This ring is mounted coaxially inside the cap (1) and is held in the latter by means of a peripheral rim (9) provided at the base of the cap (6). These two elements (6,7) are obtained by molding (polypropylene for example) and their mounting one (7) inside the other (8) is achieved by force fitting.

The upper face of the screw ring (7) comprises a bowl (10) on the periphery of which are provided stops (11) (three in number in the example illustrated), rigid, extending over the entire height of the bowl (10) and having a bearing surface (12).

Flexible elements (13) constituted in the present case by blades fixed inside the cap, make it possible to maintain normally apart said cap (6) from the screw ring (7), so that it is normally in support against the peripheral edge (9).

The cap (6) has, at its lower part, a tamper-evident band (14) in the form of a circular crown provided with a gripping zone (18), and which is obtained directly by molding during the production of said cap (6). In addition, on its internal face (15) facing the cup (10) of the screw ring, two series of elements are provided, respectively designated by the expression "flexible cams (16)" and "rigid notches (17 ) ". These elements (16) and (17) have dimensions and a shape such that, during a screwing operation, the flexible cams (16) normally already in contact with the bearing surface (12) of the fixed stops ( 11), the notches (17) of the rotation of the screw ring passing above the upper level of said ring and therefore not cutting any fixed element during this rotation. On the other hand, when it is desired to open the container, and when the pressing ring is pressed, the flexible blades (13) are crushed, the rigid notches (17) then coming into contact with the fixed stops (12) while the flexible cams (16) slip out.

The implementation of such a screw cap is as follows.

When the container is filled with the product which it must contain, it is closed using the device according to the invention in a conventional manner, by normally screwing said assembly around the neck (8). This is made possible by the fact that the two elements: cap (6) and screw ring (7), are kept apart from one another by the action of the spring assembly (13), which allows to have a drive via the flexible cam (16) which comes bearing against the surface (12) of the stop (11). When the assembly is thus completely screwed and the safety tab (14) reaches the level of the bearing surface (4) of the bottle neck, it is no longer possible to unscrew the container.

During the first use, the safety tab (14) is torn off. It is then possible to press on the cover (15), which then brings the rigid notches (17) to the level of the fixed stops (11) and, consequently, by maintaining this pressure and by rotating the upper cover, therefore drives the screw ring in the same movement, which opens the container. On the other hand, if there is no pressure, it is possible to rotate the cap, but then the screw ring is not driven. The quantity of product required having been withdrawn, the container is closed in a conventional manner.

Such an assembly of particularly simple design is not only very economical to manufacture by the fact that it comprises only two elements which can be obtained directly by molding, but above all has great job security by the fact that it requires for the 'opening a combination of antagonistic gestures (pressure and rotation hardly achievable naturally by an untrained person), while the closing is done by screwing the whole like a classic screw cap.

It should also be noted that such an embodiment leads to particularly aesthetic assemblies, since the neck and the upper part of the container have no protuberance.

Such an assembly also ensures perfect sealing.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but it covers all the variants thereof included in the scope of the claim. Thus, it is of course obvious that the upper face of the cap may include indications (arrows) (see FIG. 3) facilitating the understanding of the system during a first use. In addition, if in the embodiment described, the means making it possible to keep the cover (6) and the screw ring (7) apart from one another are constituted by flexible blades forming an integral part of the cover ( 6), it could be envisaged to have the opposite solution, that is to say to have flexible blades forming an integral part of the screw ring and disposed inside the head (10). Optionally, it could be envisaged to interpose between the two elements: cap (6) and screw ring (7), another compressible assembly such as a simple spring.

Claims (1)

1. Cap which may be screwed around a cylindrical neck (2) of a receptacle (3) containing any type of product, and which comprises a tear-off safety tab (14) at its base to permit the receptacle to be opened on its first use, said cap being formed by two elements (6, 7) integrated one (7) inside the other (6):

   - one (6) a so-called "outer cap" comprising the continuous tab (14) on its circumference which may be torn off on first use;

   - the other (7) a so-called "threaded ring" which is fitted into the interior of the above element and on its inner face has a thread (8) which may be adapted to the corresponding thread provided around the neck of the receptacle;

   the two elements mentioned above:

   - being subject to the action of a resilient assembly (13) serving to hold them normally apart from one another;

   - the upper face of the threaded ring (7) having fixed abutments (11) which, in cooperation with the corresponding elements (16, 17) provided on the lower face of the outer cap (6), allow:

   - the threaded ring (7) to be locked in relation to the outer cap (6) during a screwing operation to prevent relative movement between them, these elements automatically disengaging during an unscrewing operation carried out by exerting pressure on the outer cap (6);

   - the fixed relationship of the two elements (6, 7) allowing the assembly to be unscrewed when pressure is exerted on the outer cap (6),

   characterised in that the corresponding elements (16, 17) provided on the lower face of the outer cap (6) are formed by flexible cams (16) and rigid notches (17) which are constructed so that during a screwing operation, the flexible cams (16) are normally already in contact with the supporting surface (12) of the fixed abutments (11), and during rotation of the threaded ring, the notches (17) pass above the upper level of said ring and thus do not cross any fixed element during this rotation, whilst on the other hand when opening of the receptacle is desired and pressure is applied to the threaded ring, flexible strips (13) are squeezed and the rigid notches (17) then come into contact with the fixed abutments (11) while the flexible cams (16) shift out of the way.

Images