EP3741706A1

EP3741706A1 - Bottle cap

Info

Publication number: EP3741706A1
Application number: EP19398007.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Carlos Alberto CARNEIRO DIAS
Original assignee: Madil Acessorios Industriais Lda
Current assignee: Madil Acessorios Industriais Lda
Priority date: 2019-05-24
Filing date: 2019-05-24
Publication date: 2020-11-25

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technological field of the sealing devices, disclosing a new configuration for a bottle cap, which is a simple and effective solution to provide a permanent physical connection between the cap and the respective bottle, thus preventing the former from being lost after an opening procedure. The proposed cap is adapted to provide a bottleneck (1) of a bottle with a threaded engagement and is comprised of an upper section (2) and a lower section (4) interconnected through a connecting strip (3).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the technological field of the sealing devices, whose function is to seal containers in order to retain liquids or other substances therein.
More particularly, the present invention relates to sealing devices of the threaded type, generally referred throughout the text as caps, for closing container bottlenecks, generally referred throughout the text as bottles, and specifically designed to maintain a permanent physical connection with the respective bottle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention finds a closer background in caps designed to maintain a permanent physical connection to the respective bottle, in particular after an opening action.
Patent application US20050247714A1 describes a device for closing bottles, comprising a main body, to be installed in the bottleneck of a bottle and allowing access to the interior of the bottle therethrough, and to which is fixed a cap, through a plastic strap that operates by engagement in order to provide the opening and closing of the main body and, by extension, of the bottle where it is mounted.
Patent application US6460726B1 discloses the same technical principle of the aforementioned solution, however there is no plastic strap attaching the main body to its cap, but rather a plastic hinge.

TECHNICAL PROBLEMS SOLVED

State-of-the-art solutions, such as those described herein, are directed to the problem associated with the permanent connection between cap and the respective bottle in a complex way, as they involve not only demanding reconfigurations of the cap body and/or bottleneck of the bottle, but also the use of additional elements, such as hinges or straps in addition to those strictly necessary.
Contrary to this, in the present invention, it was intended to design a new type of threaded cap, which is a simple and effective solution to provide a permanent physical connection between cap and the respective bottle, thus preventing the former from being lost after the opening action.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is thus object of the present invention a bottle cap, especially designed to maintain a permanent physical connection with the respective bottle, after the opening action thereof.
The present invention thus relates to a cap adapted to provide a threaded engagement to a bottleneck of a bottle, comprising an upper section and a lower section. The lower section of the cap is designed to be positioned between the base and a locking ring of the bottleneck of a bottle, and the upper section is designed to provide the engagement to a threaded section of that bottleneck. Additionally, the cap is characterized in that it comprises a helically shaped connecting strip, which connects both sections of the cap, with a minimum length equal to the perimeter of said sections of the cap. The position of the connecting strip may change between a retracted position, being disposed between the base of the bottleneck and the locking ring when the upper section of the cap provides a threaded engagement to the bottleneck of the bottle - closed bottle - and an elongated position, thus acquiring a helical shape, when the upper section of the cap is not in contact with the bottle, the latter being open.
It is the connecting strip element, together with the attachment of the lower section of the cap to the bottleneck, that ensure the permanent connection between cap and the respective bottle, as well as the necessary movement flexibility of the upper section in order to, in case of opening the bottle, allow the user accessing the bottleneck of the bottle with convenience.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Figure 1 - representation of the bottle cap of the invention, wherein the reference signs mean:
1. 1 - bottleneck of the bottle;
2. 2 - upper section of the cap;
3. 3 - connecting strip;
4. 4 - lower section of the cap.
Figure 2 - exploded view of the bottle cap of the invention, wherein the reference signs mean:
- 2 - upper section of the cap;
- 3 - connecting strip;
- 4 - lower section of the cap.
Figure 3 - representation of the bottle cap of the invention, in closing position of the respective bottle, wherein the reference signs mean:
- 2 - upper section of the cap;
- 3 - connecting strip;
- 4 - lower section of the cap;
- 5 - connection zone.
Figure 4 - approximate representation of the bottle cap of the invention, in closing position of the respective bottle, wherein the reference signs mean:
- 2 - upper section of the cap;
- 3 - connecting strip;
- 4 - lower section of the cap;
- 6 - attachment points;
- 8 - bottleneck base.
Figure 5 - approximate representation of the bottle cap of the invention, in closing position of the respective bottle, wherein the reference signs mean:
- 2 - upper section of the cap;
- 3 - connecting strip;
- 4 - lower section of the cap;
- 7 - locking tab;
- 8 - bottleneck base;
- 9 - locking ring of the bottleneck.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention makes it possible to maintain a permanent physical contact between the cap and the respective bottle, thus preventing the former from being lost following the opening of the bottle.
This is provided through a simple solution, achieved through a threaded-type cap, and without needing additional elements such as straps or hinges.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the proposed cap is adapted to provide a threaded engagement to a bottleneck (1) of a bottle, and is comprised of an upper section (2) and a lower section (4) interconnected through a connecting strip (3).
The lower section (4) of the cap is designed to be positioned between the bottleneck base (8) and a locking ring (9). The locking ring (9) defines the lower limit zone of the threaded section of the bottleneck (1) of the bottle, constituting, together with the base (8) thereof, two projections along the entire perimeter of the bottleneck (1), which constrict to that space the movement of the lower section (4) of the cap.
The upper section (2) of the cap is designed to provide the engagement between said section and the threaded section of the bottleneck (1). Indeed, the threaded-type caps conform to a standard thread configuration adapted to provide a perfect match with the threaded section of the bottleneck (1), which becomes responsible for providing a rotational movement of engagement and disengagement of the upper section of the cap, in order to open and close the bottle, respectively.
The connecting strip (3) is responsible for connecting the lower section (4) and upper section (2) of the cap, having a minimum length which is equal to the perimeter of the lower section (4) and upper section (2) of the cap, - both having the same perimeter - and a helical shape, which together with the material that it is made endow it with the necessary flexibility to change between a retracted position and an elongated position. The retracted position is achieved when the upper section (2) of the cap is engaged in the threaded bottleneck (1) of the bottle - closed bottle -, which causes the connecting strip (3), due to its helical shape, to fit in the area between the bottleneck base (8) and the locking ring (9), together with the lower section (4) of the cap. In turn, the elongated position is reached after the complete unscrewing between the upper section (2) of the cap and the bottleneck (1), allowing opening the bottle, however without causing a physical separation between the latter and the cap. Indeed, when the bottle is opened, the lower section (4) of the cap remains restricted to the area between the bottleneck base (4) and the locking ring (9), thus granting the fixation of the cap to the bottle. The distance between the upper section (2) of the cap and the upper edge of the bottleneck (1) may change in different embodiments of the present invention, so as to provide greater convenience to the user of the bottle, such distance being a function of the length of the connecting strip (3). The connection between the strip (3) and both sections (2, 4) of the cap is made through a connection zone (5), which provides a curvilinear shape integration between said elements (2, 3, 4), intended to promote fluidity in the elongation and retraction movements of the strip (3), when the bottle is opened and closed respectively.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, combinable with any other described herein, the lower section (4), upper section (2) and connecting strip (3) form integrally a single piece, made from a portion of material, and executed through a cutting process which allows to create the three constituent elements (2, 3, 4) of the cap. The fact that no additional elements, for example adhesives or fasteners, are used to provide the assembly between all the constituents (2, 3, 4) of the cap, endows it with strength and robustness, increasing its lifetime.
In another alternative embodiment of the present invention, combinable with any other described herein, the cap is made from polymeric material which, for example, may be HDPE (High-density Polyethylene).
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, combinable with all those described herein, the developed cap comprises a sealing mechanism to ensure the inviolability of the bottle until its first use. Said mechanism therefore acts during the period in which the bottle is closed by the action of the cap described herein, by effecting the physical connection between the upper (2) and lower (4) sections and the connecting strip (3) through of a plurality of attachment points (6), and assuring the fixation of the entire assembly (2, 3, 4) forming the cap to the bottleneck (1) of the bottle, through a locking tab (7) .
With respect to the attachment points (6), their configuration and dimensioning are such that they provide the necessary fragility to said mechanism, allowing it to be broken when unscrewing the cap and consequently opening of the bottle. The balance between the effectiveness of this mechanism and the fragility necessary to allow that opening is achieved by using a configuration for the attachment points (6) that involves considering their positioning and number for each practical case. In relation to their positioning, the attachment points (6) should have a vertical arrangement, along the perimeter of the sections (2, 4) of the cap, so as to be aligned with the upward vertical direction of the unscrewing force, which facilitates their break-up. For this reason, the attachment points (6) are not placed in the connection zone (5) of said sections (2, 4) with the connecting strip (3) due to the curvilinear characteristic thereof, which would impose a misaligned position of the attachment points (6) with respect to the direction of the unscrewing force. Moreover, the number of attachment points (6) to be used may change according to the perimeter of the cap, i.e. their upper (2) and lower (4) sections, as well as the level of opening resistance to be achieved. However, a suitable compromise between the cap perimeter and strength level dictates that at least 8 attachment points (6) should be used to provide the connection between each cap section - lower (4) and upper (2) - and the connecting strip (3), wherein the number of attachment points (6) used between the lower section (4) and the strip (3) may be different from that used between the strip (3) and the upper section (2). Depending on the practical needs of each case, the connection may be strengthened or weakened by varying the thickness of the points (6), without having to change their number. At least the attachment points (6) are 1mm thick, and may be made from the same material as the cap.
In addition to the attachment points (6), the cap also comprises a locking tab (7) installed in the lower section (4) of the cap. In the industrial process of bottling and initial installation of the cap on the bottleneck (1) of a bottle, this tab (7) is configured to deflect in order to allow the cap, in particular its upper section (2), to descend till the locking ring (9) of the bottleneck. When this position is reached, the tab (7) stretches, lying in the space between the bottleneck base (8) and the locking ring (9), and is retained there between the bottleneck (1) of the bottle, the lower section (4) and the connecting strip (3) of the cap. This clamping position of the locking tab (7) enables the entire cap assembly (2, 3, 4) to be secured to the bottleneck (1) of the bottle, thereby achieving its sealing. In the opening action, the cap is unscrewed, what will break-up the attachment points (6). This process occurs by the action of two opposite forces: on the one hand the unscrewing that displaces the cap in the upward vertical direction and, on the other hand, the force imposed by the locking ring (9) of the bottle, which prevents the cap from following this movement. Since the attachment points (6) exist, which are the most fragile elements of the cap, they break-up causing the separation between the strip (3) and the respective sections (2, 4), which, upon assuming its elongated shape, allows releasing the locking tab (7) and disassembling the sealing mechanism.
The technical features of the present invention, in their other combinations, are suitable to provide a simple, effective and convenient solution to a user, in order to ensure a permanent physical connection between a bottle and its cap.
As will be apparent to one skilled in the art, the present invention should not be limited to the embodiments described herein, and a number of changes are possible which remain within the scope of the present invention.
Of course, the preferred embodiments presented above are combinable, in the different possible forms, avoiding repeating all such combinations here.

Claims

Cap adapted to provide a threaded engagement to a bottleneck (1) of a bottle, comprising an upper section (2) and a lower section (4); the lower section (4) is designed to be positioned between a bottleneck base (8) and a locking ring (9) of said bottleneck, and the upper section (2) is designed to provide the engagement between said section and a threaded section of the bottleneck; the cap is characterized in that it comprises:
- a helically shaped connecting strip (3) connecting both sections (2, 4) of the cap, with length equal to at least the perimeter of said sections of the cap; in which the position of the connecting strip (3) changes between:

- a retracted position, being disposed between the bottleneck base (8) and the locking ring (9) when the upper section (2) of the cap provides a threaded engagement to the bottleneck (1) of the bottle; and

- an elongated position, when the upper section (2) of the cap is not in contact with the bottleneck (1) of the bottle.
Cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection between the strip (3) and the upper (2) and lower (4) sections is made through a connection zone (5) adapted to provide a curvilinear shape integration between said elements.
Cap according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower (4) and upper (2) sections and the connecting strip (3) form integrally a single piece.
Cap according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is made from polymeric material.
Cap according to claim 4, characterized in that the polymeric material is HDPE.
Cap according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a sealing mechanism, in order to guarantee the inviolability of the bottle until its first use; said sealing mechanism acting when the connecting strip (3) is in its retracted position, comprising:
a plurality of attachment points (6) disposed along the perimeter of the upper (2) and lower (4) sections of the cap, so as to provide a physical connection therebetween and with the connecting strip (3); said attachment points (6) being configured to break-up through an unscrewing action of the upper section (2), for opening of the bottle;

a locking tab (7) installed in the lower section (4) of the cap, positioned in the space between the bottleneck (1) of the bottle, the connecting strip (3) and the lower section (4) of the cap, and configured in order to extend between the bottleneck base (8) and the locking ring (9).
Cap according to claim 6, characterized in that the connection zones (5) between the lower section (4) and the strip (3), and between the strip (3) and the upper section (2) do not have attachment points (6).
Cap according to any one of claims 6 and 7, characterized in that the attachment points (6) have a vertical arrangement.
Cap according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the sealing mechanism comprises at least 8 attachment points (6) between each section (2, 4) of the cap and the connecting strip (3).
Cap according to claim 9, characterized in that the number of attachment points (6) used between the lower section (4) and the attachment strip (3) is different from the number of attachment points (6) used between the connecting strip (3) and the upper section (2).