EP2707301B1 - Screw cap closure - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to the field of capsules and more particularly screw closure capsules for closing containers, in particular glass bottles. The bottles in question contain in particular drinks, typically alcoholic beverages, such as wines, aperitifs, liqueurs or alcohols, whose consumption is typically staggered, which requires being able to close and open said bottles, possibly a large number of times.

A large number of capping capsules are already known. Some of these capsules are made of plastic, as described in European patent EP 0 107 680 . They are typically intended for capping plastic water bottles. Others, intended in particular for the capping of bottles of alcohols, aperitifs and spirits, such as that described in the French patent application FR 2 763 046 , comprise a plastic insert comprising an inner screw thread adapted to the standard screw thread of the glass rings and fixed inside a metal shell, the cylindrical skirt does not reveal any visible screw thread.

The patent EP 1 254 059 describes a corking cap suitable for butchering wine bottles, also without apparent threading. It comprises a capsule blank, typically a metal shell having a head and a skirt, and a plastic insert attached to said blank and having a particularly thin skirt also comprising an inner screw thread adapted to the thread of screwing standard glass rings. This composite capsule is delivered to bottlers who, after filling the bottle, must screw the assembly on the glass ring of the bottle and then crimp the metal shell by making a necking below the counter-ring.

Such a solution does not seem entirely satisfactory insofar as the composite capsule, as delivered to the bottlers, requires, after filling the contents of the bottle and placing the capsule on the glass ring, additional operations, such as screwing and crimping, which require the use of rotary tools not easy to move on a continuous kinematic line, and therefore reduce the rates and bid the bottling process.

The applicant has therefore tried to find a satisfactory solution to deliver bottlers a capping product that is at least as effective in terms of reversible plugging, likely to offer controlled sealing conditions and does not require as much operations after filling the bottle.

WO 2007/138191 A teaches the features of the preamble of claim 1.

• une coque, typiquement métallique, avec une jupe sensiblement cylindrique, munie d'un bourrelet annulaire interne;
• un premier insert, disposé à l'intérieur de ladite coque, solidaire de ladite coque, comprenant une jupe munie d'un filet de vissage intérieur,
• un deuxième insert, en forme globale de manchon présentant au moins deux portions globalement cylindriques;
• la première portion étant munie sur sa paroi extérieure d'un filet de vissage complémentaire de celui dudit premier insert, de sorte que ledit premier insert et ledit deuxième insert se présentent comme un ensemble solidarisé par vissage, situé à l'intérieur de ladite coque ;
• la deuxième portion étant munie de moyens d'immobilisation axiale destinés à coopérer avec ledit bourrelet annulaire de ladite bague de verrerie et de moyens de butée axiale, typiquement l'extrémité inférieure de ladite deuxième portion, coopérant avec ledit bourrelet annulaire interne de ladite coque, de telle sorte que ledit ensemble solidarisé par vissage se trouve piégé à l'intérieur de ladite coque,
  charactérisée en ce que ladite première portion du deuxième insert a une hauteur telle que, lorsque ladite capsule composite est solidarisée de manière irreversible à ladite bague de verrerie, son extrémité supérieure se trouve en-dessous du niveau du buvant de la bague, et ledit premier insert comprend une tête s'étendant traversalement à ladite jupe, ladite capsule comprenant également un joint d'étanchéité placé à l'interieur du premier insert et ayant un diamètre tel qu'il reste piégé entre ladite tête du premier insert et l'extrémité superieure de ladite première portion du deuxième insert.

A first object according to the invention is a composite capsule intended to be fixed on the glassware ring of a bottle and then to serve as a screw cap and unscrewable at will to seal or release the dispensing orifice of said bottle, said ring of glassware being provided with at least one annular bead and said composite capsule comprising:

• a shell, typically metallic, with a substantially cylindrical skirt, provided with an internal annular bead;
• a first insert, disposed inside said shell, integral with said shell, comprising a skirt provided with an internal screw thread,
• a second sleeve-shaped insert having at least two generally cylindrical portions;
• the first portion being provided on its outer wall with a screw thread complementary to that of said first insert, so that said first insert and said second insert are in the form of an assembly secured by screwing, located inside said shell;
• the second portion being provided with axial immobilization means intended to cooperate with said annular bead of said glass ring and axial abutment means, typically the lower end of said second portion cooperating with said inner annular bead of said shell, such that said assembly secured by screwing is trapped inside said shell,
  characterized in that said first portion of the second insert has a height such that, when said composite capsule is irreversibly secured to said glass ring, its upper end is below the level of the rim of the ring, and said first insert comprises a head extending transversely to said skirt, said capsule also comprising a seal placed inside the first insert and having a diameter such that it remains trapped between said head of the first insert and the upper end of said first portion of the second insert.

• un premier insert jouant le rôle décrit par exemple dans EP 1 254 059 : il permet de rendre la capsule vissable et dévissable après première ouverture tout en ne faisant pas apparaître de filet de vissage extérieur;
• un deuxième insert, qui est assemblé au premier insert par vissage, de sorte que l'ensemble ainsi constitué peut être introduit dans la coque puis piégé dans celle-ci, grâce au bourrelet annulaire interne de ladite coque. Ledit bourrelet annulaire interne correspond typiquement, lorsque la coque est métallique, à la partie interne d'une gorge annulaire réalisée par application extérieure d'une molette sur la jupe cylindrique.

The capsule according to the invention comprises two inserts:

• a first insert playing the role described for example in EP 1 254 059 it makes it possible to make the capsule screwable and unscrewable after first opening while not showing any external screw thread;
• a second insert, which is assembled to the first insert by screwing, so that the assembly thus formed can be introduced into the shell and trapped therein, thanks to the inner annular bead of said shell. Said inner annular bead typically corresponds, when the shell is metallic, to the inner part of an annular groove made by external application of a wheel on the cylindrical skirt.

Thus formed, the composite capsule, provided with means of immobilization relative to the glass ring, can be simply pressed on the neck of the bottle until said immobilization means irreversibly solidarise the capsule on the neck .

These immobilization means comprise axial immobilization means which act so that, when said composite capsule is depressed by simple translation on said neck, a bead of the glass ring is trapped in the middle of said immobilizing means. Advantageously, these immobilizing means also comprise circumferential immobilization means (immobilization in rotation), so that, after first opening, said second insert, fully integral with the glass ring, serves as an attached screw thread. The circumferential immobilization means are, for example, longitudinal ribs which extend on the inner wall of the first portion and / or the second portion of the second insert and which cooperate with reliefs formed on the outer surface of the glassware ring. positioned so that they serve as a stop to said ribs in rotation in both directions.

By convention, we describe the different parts of the capsule by supposing it placed (or ready to be placed) on the glass ring of a standing bottle. Thus, the terms "superior", "above", etc. simply indicate that the objects so designated are more ready for the dispensing orifice while the terms "lower", "below", etc. simply indicate that the objects thus designated are further away from the dispensing orifice of the bottle. Following this convention, the first insert is "above" the second insert, the first portion is an "upper" portion screwed into the first insert.

Advantageously, the cylindrical skirt of the shell has an easy circumferential breaking line, located below the first insert, near the lower end of the skirt thereof, and preferably above the second one. portion of the second insert, so that the immobilizing means and the annular bead of the glass ring remain hidden even after the first opening. During the first opening, the top of the shell, which is secured to the first insert, is rotated while the second insert is locked in rotation and is retained axially remaining attached to the bottom of the shell. By accentuating the rotation in the unscrewing direction, the shell is torn at the level of the easy rupture line and the composite capsule is transformed into two separable parts: an upper part acting as a screwable and screwable capsule and a lower part acting as a screw thread attached to the neck of the bottle.

Advantageously, the first insert and the second insert have outer walls whose diameters are substantially similar so that the assembly secured by screwing has a cylindrical overall appearance, with an outer diameter preferably substantially equal to the internal diameter of the skirt of the shell. Advantageously, the transition between the first portion and the second portion of the second insert comprises a shoulder that typically extends to said outer diameter and serves as a stop screwing the second insert in the first insert.

Advantageously, the glass ring comprises a second annular bead intended to act as an axial stop for the internal annular bead of the shell not only during the insertion of the composite capsule on the neck of the bottle but also after tearing of the rupture line. easy: the lower part of the shell can thus remain at its original location regardless of the friction conditions at the interface of the lower part of the shell and the outer cylindrical wall of the second portion of the second insert. This avoids the risk that it "falls" to the bottom of the neck of the bottle by unveiling the means of immobilization of the ring and the second insert.

Said composite capsule also comprises a reported seal. Said first insert comprises a head that extends transversely to said skirt and said attached gasket is placed inside the first insert, having a diameter such it remains trapped between said head and the upper end of the first portion of the second insert.

Said first portion of the second insert has a height such that, when said composite capsule is irreversibly secured to said glass ring, its upper end is below the level of the rim of the ring, also called "ring top" . In this way, when said composite capsule is placed on the glass ring, an annular support zone, close to the periphery of said seal, comes into contact with the ring top and, after irreversible joining of the composite capsule to the collar, said annular support zone is compressed between the head of the insert and said ring top.

Advantageously, said seal comprises a resilient layer. This is typically a layer of an expanded polymeric material such as expanded polyethylene, the thickness of which is greater than 1 mm. Preferably, this layer is thicker than the resilient layer of the seals used in the conventional capsules: under the usual geometric conditions of the bottles concerned (diameter distribution orifice typically between 18 and 25 mm), it is greater than 2 mm, even greater than or equal to 2.5 mm. Thanks to this particular thickness, said resilient layer can play, in addition to its specific function in a seal, two other functions associated on the one hand with the spring effect that it can exert at the end of depression during fixation. of the composite capsule on the glass ring (see [0020]) and secondly to its ability to compensate axial clearances due to the accumulation of differences between the actual ratings of manufactured parts and their nominal values. This thick resilient layer can indeed play a beneficial role in the compensation of the accumulation of axial dimensional clearances related to the conditions of manufacture of the glass ring and those related to the manufacturing conditions of the different parts of the composite capsule.

Advantageously, said first insert has radial compression means, such as those described in FIG. EP Patent 1,638,853 , which make it possible to press the periphery of said seal onto the periphery of the upper end of the glassware ring without wrinkling, the latter including the peripheral edge of the rim and a substantially cylindrical portion of the ring.

The Applicant has also found that when the first portion of the second insert has an upper end below the level of the ring top, and when it is provided with a reported seal as described above and abutting directly on the ring top, the composite capsule according to the invention makes it possible to guarantee a seal superior to those of the other systems clipped on a glass ring, since the seal bears directly on the rim of the glass and not on a plastic part, which gives it a better reliability over time.

The capsule according to the invention is intended to be mounted on a specific glass ring, without screw thread but having at least one axial immobilization means, such as an annular bead, continuous or not, intended to cooperate with the axial immobilization means of the second insert, and circumferential immobilization means for cooperating with those of the second insert to lock the latter in rotation. The design of the various elements of the composite capsule must be adapted to a realistic geometry of the neck of the bottle. In particular, the dimensions of said second insert must be defined so that the industrial manufacturing dimensional tolerances of said second insert are compatible with dimensional tolerances of industrial manufacture of said glass ring.

In a preferred embodiment, the second portion of the second insert comprises a lower end ring and an upper end ring interconnected by longitudinal bridges. Between these longitudinal bridges extend flexible annular blades attached to said lower end ring, oriented upwards and at rest, inclined towards the longitudinal axis, so that the ends of said blades are on a circle whose diameter is smaller than the outside diameter of the annular bead of the glass ring. When sinking the composite capsule on the neck, said flexible blades flex outwardly when they come into contact with said annular bead of the glass ring and then suddenly return to their rest position when they have exceeded said bead , which prevents any withdrawal movement, that is to say any movement in the opposite direction to the depression of the capsule, the ends of said flexible blades being almost immediately abut against said annular bead.

Said upper end ring is advantageously provided with a bottom wall which forms a shoulder extending to a diameter smaller than that of the annular bead of the glass ring. This lower wall completes the trapping of said bead by preventing the continuation of the depression of said capsule on said ring.

The resilient layer of the seal may be used to effect a depression beyond the theoretical score corresponding to the release of the ends of the flexible blades. This additional penetration, typically of the order of 0.5 mm, allows, given the dimensional tolerances of manufacture of the glass ring and the different parts of the composite capsule, to be sure that the flexible blades are well. to release at the end of depression, that is to say that their ends are actually on a circle of diameter much smaller than that of the annular bead of the ring. When the driving force is stopped, the spring effect of the resilient layer drives the entire composite capsule upwards and the ends of the flexible blades come into abutment against said annular bead.

Advantageously, said glass ring comprises a second annular bead also serving as abutment to depression when it cooperates with the inner annular bead of the shell.

The great advantage of the invention lies in the fact that, after filling the bottle, it is no longer necessary to screw the composite cap on the ring and then crimp it: just push it on the neck up to what she is trapped. The simplicity of this movement makes it possible to increase the rates with bottling machines operating in simplified continuous kinematics.

Another object according to the invention is a glassware ring occupying the top of the neck of a bottle and intended to accommodate a composite capsule according to the invention, characterized in that it comprises an annular bead located at a distance from the upper rim at the height of said first portion of said second insert as well as circumferential immobilization means cooperating with the circumferential immobilization means of said second insert. It is for example reliefs cooperating with longitudinal internal ribs attached to the inner wall of said second insert.

The glassware ring according to the invention is associated with the composite capsule according to the invention. This is a new glass ring, different from those used in the prior art (cf. FR 2 763 046 and EP 1 254 059 for example), because it is free of screw thread but it comprises a particular annular bead and circumferential immobilization means whose position and dimensions are specifically adapted to said composite capsule, so that said second insert, once fixed on said glass ring after snapping by simply depressing said composite capsule on said glass ring, becomes an attached screw thread perfectly integral with said glass ring.

Advantageously, said glass ring comprises a second annular bead serving as an abutment to the depression of said composite capsule.

Another object according to the invention is a bottle intended for staggered consumption of wines, aperitifs, liqueurs, alcohols, alcoholic beverages, characterized in that its neck is provided with a glass ring according to the invention. invention and that it is provided with a composite capsule according to the invention.

1. a) on se munit de bouteilles munies d'une bague de verrerie selon l'invention;
2. b) on les remplit du liquide que lesdites bouteilles doivent contenir;
3. c) on se munit de capsules composites selon l'invention et on les fixe sur la bague de verrerie desdites bouteilles par simple translation axiale.

Another object according to the invention is a process for capping a bottle intended for staggered consumption of wines, aperitifs, liqueurs, alcohols, alcoholic beverages, characterized in that

1. a) is provided with bottles provided with a glass ring according to the invention;
2. (b) they are filled with the liquid that the bottles must contain;
3. c) is equipped with composite capsules according to the invention and fixed on the glass ring of said bottles by simple axial translation.

The figure 1 illustrates in diametral half-section the upper end of a bottle capsulated with a particular embodiment of the invention.

The figure 2 illustrates in perspective the second insert of the composite capsule represented in figure 1 .

PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION EXAMPLE 1

The Figures 1 and 2 below illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, dedicated to the capping of wine bottles.

The composite capsule (1) comprises a metal shell (10) having a cylindrical skirt (11) provided with an inner annular bead (12). It also comprises two inserts (20 and 30) screwed together and introduced into the shell (10).

The first insert (20) makes it possible to make the capsule screwable and unscrewable after first opening while not showing any external screw thread. The second insert (30) is assembled to the first insert by screwing, so that the assembly thus formed can be introduced into the shell and trapped therein by means of the inner annular bead (12). The inner annular bead (12) corresponds to the inner portion of an annular groove made by external application of a wheel on the cylindrical skirt.

The second insert (30) has two generally cylindrical portions: a first portion (31), provided on its outer wall with a screw thread (311) complementary to that of said first insert, and a second portion (32) provided with axial immobilization means (321) intended to cooperate with the annular bead (101) of the glass ring (100). The lower end (323) of the second portion (32) cooperates with the inner annular bead (12) of the shell (10), so that the set of screwed inserts (20 + 30) is trapped at the bottom. inside the hull.

The second portion (32) of the second insert (30) includes a lower end ring (325) and an upper end ring (326) interconnected by longitudinal bridges (327). Between these longitudinal bridges extend annular blades

(328) hoses attached to said lower end ring, oriented upward and, at rest, inclining towards the longitudinal axis (500), so that the ends (329) of said blades are on a circle of which the diameter is smaller than the outside diameter of the annular bead (101) of the glass ring (100).

When sinking the composite capsule on the neck, the flexible blades (328) flex outwardly when they come into contact with the annular bead (101) of the glass ring and then suddenly return to their rest position when they have exceeded said bead, which prevents any withdrawal movement.

The upper end ring (326) is provided with a bottom wall (324) which forms a shoulder abutting axial to the annular bead (101) of the glass ring.

The second insert (30) also comprises longitudinal ribs (313) which extend on the inner wall of the first portion (31) and which cooperate with reliefs formed on the outer surface of the glass ring.

The cylindrical skirt (11) of the shell (10) has a circumferential easy break line (15), located below the first insert (20), near the lower end (25) of the skirt (21) of the latter, and above the second portion (32) of the second insert (30), so that the flexible blades (328) and the annular bead (101) remain hidden even after the first opening.

The first insert (20) and the second insert (30) have substantially cylindrical outer walls whose diameters are substantially equal to the internal diameter of the skirt (11) of the shell (10). The transition between the first portion (31) and the second portion (32) of the second insert (30) comprises a shoulder (35) which serves as a stop screwing the second insert in the first insert.

The composite capsule also includes an attached seal (40) located within the first insert (20). Its diameter is such that it remains trapped between the head (23) of the first insert and the upper end (312) of the first portion (31) of the second insert (30). When the composite capsule is placed on the glass ring, an annular support zone (41), close to the periphery (46) of the seal (40), comes into contact with the rim (120), also called " ring top ", so that when the composite capsule is depressed on the neck after bottling, the annular support zone (41) is compressed between the head of the insert (23) and the rim (120) .

The seal comprises a resilient layer of expanded polyethylene. In the context of this example, the thickness of the resilient layer is 2.5 mm. The first insert (20) has radial compression means, in this case a double flexible tongue (26), which makes it possible to press the periphery (46) of the seal (40) on the periphery of the end without forming a crease. upper of the glass ring, the latter including the peripheral edge of the rim and a substantially cylindrical portion of the ring.

The glass ring (100) associated with said composite capsule (1) is devoid of screw thread but has a continuous annular bead (101) intended to cooperate with the flexible annular blades (328) of the second insert (32), and reliefs (not shown) intended to cooperate with the longitudinal ribs (313) of the second insert (30) to block the latter in rotation. The glass ring also includes a second annular bead (102) for axial abutment with the inner annular bead (12) of the shell.

Claims (14)

1. Composite cap (1) which is to be fixed to the glass ring (100) of a bottle and then serve as a stopper which can be screwed and unscrewed as desired in order to close or open the distribution orifice (110) of said bottle, said glass ring being provided with at least one annular protuberance (101), said composite cap comprising:

   - a shell (10), typically made of metal, having a substantially cylindrical skirt (11), provided with an inner annular protuberance (12);

   - a first insert (20), arranged inside said shell, rigidly connected to said shell, comprising a skirt (21) provided with an inner screw thread (22),

   - a second insert (30) in the general shape of a sleeve having at least two generally cylindrical portions (31 and 32);

   - the first portion (31) being provided on the external wall thereof with a screw thread (311) which is complementary to that of said first insert, so that said first insert and said second insert are in the form of an assembly (20 + 30) rigidly connected by screwing, located inside said shell;

   - the second portion (32) being provided with axial immobilisation means (321) which are to cooperate with said annular protuberance (101) of said ring (100), and with axial stop means (322), typically the lower end (323) of said second portion, which cooperate with said inner annular protuberance (12) so that said assembly (20 + 30) which is rigidly connected by screwing is trapped inside said shell,
   characterised in that said first portion (31) of the second insert (30) has a height such that, when said composite cap (1) is rigidly connected in an irreversible manner to said glass ring (100), the upper end (312) thereof is located beneath the level of the rim (120) of the ring (100), and said first insert (20) comprises a head (23) which extends transversely with respect to said skirt (21), said cap also comprising a seal (40) placed inside the first insert (20) and having a diameter such that it remains trapped between said head (23) of the first insert and the upper end (312) of said first portion (31) of the second insert (30).
2. Composite cap (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said second insert is also provided with circumferential immobilisation means (313) which cooperate with circumferential immobilisation means formed on said glass ring.
3. Composite cap (1) according to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the skirt (11) of the shell has a circumferential break line (15) located beneath said first insert, close to the lower end of the skirt (21) thereof, and above the second portion (32) of the second insert (30).
4. Composite cap (1) according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the first insert (20) and the second insert (30) have cylindrical external walls of which the diameters are substantially the same, so that the assembly which is rigidly connected by screwing has a generally cylindrical appearance, with an external diameter which is substantially equal to the internal diameter of the skirt (11) of said shell.
5. Composite cap (1) according to claim 4, characterised in that the transition between the first portion (31) and the second portion (32) of the second insert (30) comprises a shoulder (35) which serves as a stop for the screwing of said second insert into said first insert.
6. Composite cap (1) according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that said first portion (31) of the second insert (30) has a height such that, when said composite cap is rigidly connected in an irreversible manner to said glass ring (100), the upper end (312) thereof is located beneath the level of the ring top (120) so that, when said composite cap is placed on the glass ring, an annular bearing region (41) close to the periphery (46) of said seal comes into contact with the ring top and, after the composite cap has been rigidly connected in an irreversible manner to the neck, said annular bearing region is compressed between the head of the insert and said ring top.
7. Composite cap (1) according to claim 6, characterised in that said seal comprises a resilient layer, typically a layer of an expanded polymer material, the thickness of which is greater than 2 mm, preferably greater than or equal to 2.5 mm.
8. Composite cap (1) according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that said first insert (20) has radial compression means (26) which allow the periphery (46) of said seal (40) to be flattened against the periphery of the upper end of the glass ring without a crease being formed.
9. Composite cap (1) according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that said second portion comprises a lower end ring (325) and an upper end ring (326) which are interconnected by longitudinal bridge elements (327) between which there extend flexible annular strips (328) which are attached to said lower end ring (325), are oriented upwards and, at rest, are inclined towards the longitudinal axis (500) so that the ends (329) of said strips are located on a circle of which the diameter is smaller than the external diameter of the annular protuberance (101) of the glass ring.
10. Composite cap (1) according to claim 9, characterised in that said upper end ring (325) is provided with a lower wall (324) which forms a shoulder by extending to a diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the annular protuberance (101) of the glass ring (100).
11. Glass ring located at the top of the neck of a bottle and associated with a composite cap according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that it comprises an annular protuberance (101) located at a distance from the upper rim at the height of said first portion (31) of said second insert (30), as well as circumferential immobilisation means which cooperate with the circumferential immobilisation means (313) of said second insert.
12. Glass ring according to claim 11, characterised in that it comprises a second annular protuberance (102) which serves as a stop for the insertion of said composite cap.
13. Bottle for drinks, typically alcoholic drinks such as wines, aperitifs, liqueurs and spirits, which are consumed in stages, characterised in that the neck thereof is provided with a glass ring according to either claim 11 or claim 12 and in that it is provided with a composite cap according to any of claims 1 to 10.
14. Method of capping a bottle for drinks, typically alcoholic drinks such as wines, aperitifs, liqueurs and spirits, which are consumed in stages, characterised in that

    a) bottles provided with a glass ring according to either claim 11 or claim 12 are obtained;

    b) the bottles are filled with said drink;

    c) composite caps according to any of claims 1 to 10 are obtained and are fixed to the glass ring of said bottles by simple axial translation.

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