EP1459998A1

EP1459998A1 - Security seal for a container cap, the cap itself, and a container closed by said cap

Info

Publication number: EP1459998A1
Application number: EP04004945A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ivan Rovelli; Angelo Garibaldi
Original assignee: Capsol Berry Plastics SpA
Current assignee: Capsol Berry Plastics SpA
Priority date: 2003-03-19
Filing date: 2004-03-03
Publication date: 2004-09-22
Also published as: ITMI20030535A1

Abstract

The security seal (1) for a cap (2) of a container (3) comprises an annular body (4) connected to the cap (2) by an easily broken portion (5) and presenting inwardly projecting teeth (6a, 6b) engagable with at least one projection (7) on the container (3). The teeth (6a, 6b) are disposed in at least two superposed rows, such that the seal (1) can engage different containers.

Description

The present invention relates to a security seal for container cap, the cap itself, and a container closed by said cap.
Containers such as bottles are known to present a neck having at its end a threaded portion on which a closure cap is fitted.
To ensure that at the moment of purchase or use, the container has not been opened and hence preserves the characteristics of the product contained in its interior, its cap usually presents a security seal which is broken when the container is opened and enables the integrity of the container closure to be easily and quickly checked.
In particular, the security seal comprises an annular body connected to the lower part of the cap by easily broken portions.
Teeth project inwards from the body to engage, during container opening, a projecting ring formed on the neck of the bottle, such as to hinder translation of the body (by preventing it from sliding along the container neck) and cause the easily broken portions to break.
However, such security seals present the drawback of being dependent on the container to which they are to be connected.
In this respect, the teeth have to be positioned such that when the cap has been completely screwed down onto the container, the teeth have completely passed beyond the projecting ring on the container so that subsequent opening causes the easily broken portions to break.
This considerably limits the facility to use one and the same cap for different containers because even if a cap is compatible in terms of dimensions and thread characteristics, it may not be able to overcome the projecting ring on the container when positioned; in such a situation the security seal would be totally useless.
The main object of the present invention is therefore to provide a security seal for a container cap, the cap itself and a container closed by said cap which overcome the stated drawbacks of the known art.
A further object of the invention is to provide a security seal which is not dependent on the characteristics of the container to which the cap (presenting the security seal) is to be connected.
A further object of the invention is to provide a cap which can be used with numerous types of container having different characteristics.
These and further objects are attained according to the invention by a security seal for a container cap, the cap itself and a container closed by said cap, in accordance with the accompanying claims.
Further characteristics and advantages will be more apparent from the description of a preferred but non-exclusive embodiment of the security seal for a container cap, the cap itself and a container closed by said cap of the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying figures, in which:

Figure 1 is a cross-section through a cap presenting a seal according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a cross-section through the cap of Figure 1 applied to a first container (bottle) shown partly sectioned;
Figure 3 is a cross-section through the cap of Figure 1 applied to a second container (bottle) shown partly sectioned;
Figure 4 is a plan view of the interior of the cap of Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the cap of Figure 1;
Figure 6 is a cross-section through a different embodiment of the cap presenting the security seal of the invention; and
Figure 7 shows a further embodiment of the cap presenting the security seal of the invention.

Said figures show a security seal 1 for a cap 2 of a container 3.
The seal 1 comprises an annular body 4 connected to the cap 2 via an easily broken portion 5 and presenting internally projecting teeth 6a, 6b to be engaged with at least one projection 7 on the container 3.
The teeth 6a, 6b are disposed in at least two overlying rows, such that the seal 1 can engage different containers 3.
Specifically, the accompanying figures shown seals 1 presenting teeth 6a, 6b disposed in two rows, however there could be more than two rows, for example three or more, according to requirements.
Advantageously, the teeth 6a of a first row (the upper row) are offset from the teeth 6b of a second row (the lower row).
The lateral edges 8 of the teeth 6a of the first row are substantially aligned with lateral edges 9 of the teeth 6b of the second row, the lower circumferential edges 10 of the teeth 6a of the upper first row being spaced from upper circumferential edges 11 of the teeth 6b of the lower second row.
Preferably the teeth 6a, 6b present a substantially triangular profile, with a portion 12 facing the open portion of the cap which is oblique to an axis of the body 4 and a substantially flat portion 13 facing the closed portion (or top) of the cap 2.
The container 3 closed by the cap 2 provided with the security seal 1 presents the projection 7 for engagement by the teeth 6a or 6b during extraction.
The container 3 comprises a neck 15 which presents a threaded end portion 16 provided at the mouth and engaging a corresponding thread 17 on the cap 2, a free intermediate portion 18, and at least one projection 7 for engaging the teeth 6a or 6b.
In particular, Figure 3 shows an example in which the teeth 6b of the second row of teeth are engaged in the projection 7, while the teeth 6a of the first row are free in correspondence with the intermediate portion 18.
Suitably, the distance between the projection 7 and a mouth 21 of the container 3 is substantially equal to a distance between the closed portion or top 20 of the cap 2 and the teeth 6a of the first row of teeth (upper row) or the teeth 6b of the second row of teeth (lower row) of the security seal 1.
The operation of the security seal for a container cap, the cap itself and the container closed by said cap of the invention is apparent from the description, and specifically is as follows.
The container 3 is filled in known manner with a predetermined product, the cap 2 then being applied.
Reference will firstly be made to a container of the type shown in Figure 2 on which a cap 2 is applied.
The cap is screwed down on the container until its closed portion (or top) 20 abuts against the container mouth to ensure the seal.
During this, the teeth 6b of the lower row reach the projection 7 and overcome it, after which with further screwing the teeth 6a of the upper row also overcome the projection 7; in this state the teeth 6a abut against the projection 7 and the closed portion 20 of the cap 2 abuts against the mouth 21 of the container 3 such as to provide the seal while at the same time ensuring that the container has not been opened. In this respect, if the container 3 had been opened (by unscrewing the cap 2 from the container 3) the teeth 6a of the upper row of teeth would have caused breakage of the easily broken portion 5.
Reference will instead now be made to the container 3 shown in Figure 3.
The cap 2 is screwed onto the container 3 until the teeth 6b of the lower row of teeth overcome the projection 7 and the closed part or top 20 of the cap 2 abuts against the mouth 21 of the container 3 so providing the seal.
In this case, when the container is opened by unscrewing the cap 2, the teeth 6b cause breakage of the easily broken portion 5. It has been found in practice that the security seal for a container, the cap itself and the container closed by said cap are very advantageous as they enable the same cap presenting the same security seal to be applied to numerous containers having necks of different characteristics.
Opportunely, the threaded part of the cap is identical in the two containers, whereas the dimensions and/or length of the neck or the position of the projection on the neck, this projection collaborating with the teeth of the security seal, are different.
In practice the materials used, and the dimensions, can be chosen at will according to requirements and to the state of the art.

Claims

A security seal (1) for a cap (2) of a container (3), said seal (1) comprising an annular body (4) connected to said cap (2) by an easily broken portion (5) and presenting inwardly projecting teeth (6a, 6b) engagable with at least one projection (7) on said container (3), characterised in that said teeth (6a, 6b) are disposed in at least two superposed rows, such that said seal (1) can engage different containers.
A security seal (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the teeth (6a) of a first row are offset from the teeth (6b) of a second row.
A security seal (1) as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lateral edges of said teeth (6a) of said first row are substantially aligned with lateral edges (9) of said teeth (6b) of said second row.
A security seal (1) as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that lower circumferential edges (10) of said teeth (6a) of said upper first row are spaced from upper circumferential edges (11) of the teeth (6b) of said lower second row.
A security seal (1) as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said teeth (6a, 6b) present a substantially triangular profile, with a portion (12) oblique to an axis of said body (4) facing the open portion of the cap (2) and a substantially flat portion (13) facing the closed portion (20) of the cap (2).
A cap (2) for containers (3), characterised by comprising a security seal (1) comprising an annular body (4) connected to said cap (2) by an easily broken portion (5) and presenting inwardly projecting teeth (6a, 6b) engagable with at least one projection (7) on said container (3), said teeth (6a, 6b) being disposed in at least two superposed rows, such that said seal (1) can engage necks presenting different dimensions.
A container (3) closed by a cap (2) provided with a security seal (1), characterised in that said security seal (1) comprises an annular body (4) connected to said cap (2) by an easily broken portion (5) and presenting inwardly projecting teeth (6a, 6b) engagable with at least one projection (7) on said container (3), said teeth (6a, 6b) being disposed in at least two superposed rows, said container (3) comprising a neck (15) which presents a threaded end portion (16) provided at the mouth and engaging a corresponding thread (17) on said cap (2), a free intermediate portion (18), and at least one projection (7).
A container (3) closed by a cap (2) provided with a security seal (1) as claimed in the preceding claim, characterised in that said projection (7) is engaged with said teeth (6b) of said second row, said teeth (6a) of said first row being free in correspondence with said intermediate portion (18).
A container (3) closed by a cap (2) provided with a security seal (1) as claimed in claim 7 or 8, characterised in that the distance between said projection (7) and a mouth (21) of said container (3) is substantially equal to a distance between said closed portion or top (20) of said cap (2) and said teeth (6a) of said first row of teeth or said teeth (6b) of the second row of teeth of said security seal 1.