EP3995410B1 - Combination of container neck and undetachable closure with stabilized opening angle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a captive closure, consisting of a screw cap, which has at least one cylindrical cap jacket with an internal thread and a circumferential guarantee band at the lower, open end of the cap jacket, the guarantee band being connected to the lower edge of the cap jacket via at least one easily tearable weakening line , whereby the guarantee band remains inextricably connected to the cap jacket via retaining straps after tearing along the weakening lines. The present invention also relates to a combination of a container neck with an external thread and a corresponding screw cap.

Plastic products and corresponding plastic waste, especially in the form of so-called microplastics, which are formed from plastic waste through abrasion and decay, are increasingly the focus of public attention. The screw caps to which the present invention relates are also made of plastic, typically polyethylene or polypropylene. The deposit system that has also been introduced for disposable plastic bottles reduces the number of plastic bottles that end up in residual waste and are recycled instead; However, this does not prevent that in many cases the caps of the bottles are not screwed back onto the bottle after being emptied, but are disposed of separately or thrown away and thus end up in an uncontrolled manner into the environment and, for example, on shores and beaches into the sea.

There have been and are therefore efforts to design closures on bottles, especially beverage bottles, in such a way that they remain connected to the bottle neck even after a bottle has been opened. Such a property is also called "captive".

Captive closures are known in principle.

Particularly in the case of disposable bottles, the so-called guarantee bands, which are connected to the lower edge of a cap jacket via weak points, remain hanging on the bottle neck below a so-called pilferproof ring and already form a captive part of the closure. In this respect, you just have to make sure that the screw cap stays in place After opening and loosening the screw cap from the bottle neck thread, it remains connected to the guarantee band via at least one band section or the like, referred to here as a retaining band, which in turn is held on the bottle neck by the so-called pilferproof ring. A pilferproof ring is typically an annular projection running underneath a bottle neck thread with a substantially flat or slightly conical underside, behind which radially inwardly projecting projections or parts of a guarantee band get caught, so that the guarantee band is held in place by the pilferproof ring when a screw cap is unscrewed tear the weak points provided between the guarantee band and the cap jacket.

You then only have to ensure that the connection between the guarantee band and the cap jacket, which remains via the at least one retaining band, is sufficiently long to be able to completely lift the screw cap from the bottle neck mouth and move it laterally or tilt it away from the bottle neck opening.

Out of WO2009002057 a combination of a container neck and screw cap according to the preamble of claim 1 is known.

However, these captive screw caps have often proven to be very annoying in use, since the caps, for example, move back in front of the opening of the bottle when liquid is poured out of a corresponding bottle, or twist under the effect of gravity on the bottle neck and into the liquid jet when pouring out reach. Especially when a user wants to drink directly from a bottle, corresponding screw caps that are still connected to the neck of the bottle are often in the way and annoying. Conventional captive closures can also cause problems when closing bottles in high-performance closing systems.

Captive closures have therefore not yet been established in practice to a desirable extent. The present invention is therefore based on the object of designing a captive screw cap with a guarantee band in such a way that the screw cap, after being unscrewed and loosened from the bottle neck mouth, is folded away into a position that does not interfere with further use of the bottle and drinking or pouring from the bottle or tilted and can remain there without additional measures. The screw cap is also referred to here as a “cap”.

This object is achieved by a combination of a bottle neck and a screw cap according to the present invention as defined in claim 1.

In the screw cap according to the combination according to the invention, retaining straps are formed by two weakening lines, each interrupted at least once in the circumferential direction, which run at an axial distance from one another and partially overlap alternately in the circumferential direction, with interruption sections of both weakening lines being bridged by the other weakening line at an axial distance. The weakening lines can can be produced by cuts or by separating lines with webs already formed in the injection molding tool.

The aforementioned interruption sections of the weakening lines are referred to below as "dividing webs". The separating web of the upper weakening line effectively forms an axial extension of the cylindrical cap jacket limited to a circumferential sector. The separating web of the lower weakening line forms an axial extension of a lower guarantee band section which is held stationary on the bottle neck.

In the case of conventional closures, in which the guarantee band and the cap jacket are connected to one another along a single, circumferential weakening line that tears open when it is opened for the first time, the "guarantee band" is understood to mean all sections on the lower edge of a closure cap jacket that are axially below or beyond the cap thread levels of the weakening line, which corresponds to the line referred to here as the upper weakening line.

“Axial below” here also includes the inwardly and upwardly angled section of a so-called flex band, which forms an axial extension of the outer guarantee band section during the production of the closure cap, even if parts of this angled flex band section are located on the inside of the cap above the when folded up Levels of the upper weakening line can extend.

To simplify the description, the above definition of the term "guarantee band" is retained here, ie both separators are considered to be part of the guarantee band as long as they lie below the level of the upper weakening line, even if the separator of the upper weakening line is fixed to the lower edge of the cap jacket remains connected and only detaches itself along the lower weakening line from the parts of the guarantee band that remain stationary on the bottle neck. This also applies analogously to the retaining straps, which are also below the level of the upper weakening line when the closure is closed, but do not remain in this position during and after opening.
The guarantee band defined in this way consists of a part that remains stationary on the bottle neck, which - apart from rotation - remains immovable relative to the bottle neck, and of movable parts, such as the retaining straps and the upper separator, which are relative to the bottle neck when opened stationary part and the bottleneck are movable, but remain connected to the stationary part.

In this way, the closure remains inextricably connected to the bottle neck.

The separating webs have ends in the circumferential direction, which are each connected to one of the ends of the retaining straps across their axial width. The separators have at least the same inner radius as the cap jacket. The axially downward-pointing free end face of the upper separating web is referred to as the lower edge, while the axial end region of the upper separating web surrounding the edge is referred to as the "edge".

The sections of the weakening lines that overlap in the circumferential direction define the tethers as strip-shaped sections of the guarantee band that run in the circumferential direction between the weakening lines.

The cylindrical cap jacket with internal thread defines an axis of the closure, and the bottle neck, onto which a corresponding screw cap is screwed, defines an axis of the bottle neck. When closed, these axes collapse.

A sufficient axial distance of the weakening lines of, for example, at least 2 mm in their overlap area leads to sufficiently strong retaining straps that do not break up to a tensile force of 30 N and generally up to 40 N. For an average consumer, and especially for children, it is therefore not easily possible to tear the screw cap off of the part of the guarantee band held under the pilferproof ring by tearing the retaining straps. This means that the cap, including the guarantee band, remains permanently attached to the bottle neck.

By appropriately adjusting the circumferential extent of the separating webs and the distance (measured in the axial direction) of the weakening lines, it can be achieved that after unscrewing, lifting and folding a screw cap is brought into a sufficiently stable position at a sufficient distance from the container neck opening, in which it can be remains after opening and folding and, regardless of the orientation of the associated container or bottle neck, does not end up in a disruptive position in front of the bottle neck mouth due to its own weight.

The terms "container" and "bottle" are used synonymously in the context of the present invention, since the exact type of container is not important with regard to the invention, as long as it only has a neck with an external thread onto which the closure or screw cap of the Clasp fits.

Appropriately, each of the two weakening lines has exactly one separator and the centers of the two dividers are diametrically opposed to one another. In any case, the weakening lines have an axial distance from one another in their overlap areas. In one embodiment, when the closure is unopened, the two weakening lines remain at the same axial position along their entire circumferential extent, but at a different axial position between the two weakening lines. However, the axial position of the weakening lines can also vary along their course in the circumferential direction, as long as the retaining straps do not become too narrow and retain a sufficient tear strength of at least 30 N to preferably at least 40 N.

In the separating webs of the weakening lines, such an axial distance is not important and the other weakening line that is not interrupted there could transfer to an axial position in this area that otherwise corresponds to the interrupted weakening line or has an even greater axial distance from it.

The upper line of weakness defines a dividing line between the lower edge of the canopy and the guarantee band. The lower weakening line separates the guarantee band along a circumferential section into a lower and an upper guarantee band section, the upper guarantee band section being firmly connected to the cap jacket in the area of the interruption of the upper weakening line and otherwise defining a section of the dividing line between retaining bands and the lower guarantee band section.

In one embodiment, the guarantee band is a so-called flex band, which has a first, outer guarantee band part that runs in the axial extension of the cylindrical cap jacket and a second guarantee band part that is folded radially inwards and upwards from the lower end of the first guarantee band part, the free part of which points upwards End has engagement elements for engagement with the underside of the Pilferproof ring.

The terms “top” and “bottom” are used here as they result from an orientation of the closure placed on the bottle neck of a vertically standing bottle.

The separation of the guarantee band along the entire length of the weakening lines results in strip-shaped sections of the guarantee band being produced in the overlapping area of the weakening lines due to their axial distance, which are referred to here as retaining bands. These retaining straps connect the respective separating webs of the upper and lower weakening lines, these separating webs in turn forming a connection to the cap jacket or to the first guarantee band part, which is intended to remain stationary on a bottle neck. The separator of the lower weakening line determines the length of the retaining straps, but has no further function with regard to the stability of the open cap position. However, depending on the design, the separating strip of the upper weakening line (upper separating strip) contributes significantly to stabilizing the cap in a wide open state. As far as the “dividing strip” is mentioned below without further identification, this upper separating strip is always meant. This separator forms an axial extension of the cap jacket and is firmly connected to it.

The ends of this separator in the circumferential direction are each connected to one of the ends of the retaining straps. the other end of the retaining straps is connected to the ends of the lower divider in the direction of movement
After unscrewing and then folding away or folding the screw cap, which remains connected to the bottle neck via the separating bars and the retaining straps, the cap comes into a position after a pivoting movement of approx. 90 ° in which the cap is pivoted lower edge of the separator is moved radially inwards towards the bottle neck and the upper edge of the separator, which is directly adjacent to the cap jacket, is moved radially outwards away from the bottle neck.

The retaining straps between the two separating webs are thereby twisted and hold the cap, or the separating web that axially extends the cap, in contact with the bottle neck. The lower edge of the separator or its lower edge is in contact with the bottle neck and forms a pivot point on the bottle neck, which, however, shifts in the axial direction during the pivoting movement on the bottle neck
Apart from a slight restoring force of the twisted retaining straps, the guarantee strap initially does not provide any significant resistance during the folding movement of the screw cap and the radial pivoting of the lower edge of the separator towards the bottle neck.

Since the retaining straps are connected to the ends of the divider over their entire width, the sections of the retaining straps that are immediately attached to the upper end of the divider are stretched somewhat more than the sections that are attached to the lower end of the divider. The axial height of the separating bar between the pivot point and the upper attachment of the retaining straps thus forms a lever for the tensile force of the retaining straps, which supports the further opening movement of the cap when a dead center of the pivoting movement is exceeded at approx. 90°. This means that the cap achieves a stable opening angle of e.g. B. 140" compared to their starting position. In addition, due to the upward movement of the screw cap with the upper separating bar, the retaining straps extend beyond the pilferproof ring, which contributes to the stretching and tensile stress in the retaining straps. Also the fact that the separating web extends over a certain circumferential angle of E.g. 20 - 60°, when the cap is folded over, due to the arcuate course of the separator along the circumference and with the radius of the cap jacket, this leads to an increase in the distance between the ends of the separator and the bottle neck and thus to a corresponding increase in the tensile force the retaining straps, which hold the cap in the wide open position by pulling the folded divider towards the neck of the bottle.

Basically, the retaining straps, i.e. H. the length of the overlap areas of the two weakening lines, as well as the axial height and circumferential length of the separator, are designed so that any stretching of the bands remains in the elastic range and does not reach the yield point.

This means that the engagement between the lower edge of the separator and the bottle neck through the retaining straps exerts a varying force on the separator, which initially increases when the screw cap is tilted, then passes over a dead center and then decreases again, namely when the Screw cap and with it the upper separator are tilted by more than approximately 90 ° compared to their closed position, with the retaining straps extending between the two separators being twisted in themselves. Because of a comparatively small wall thickness of, for example, 0.3 to 0.6 or 0.8 mm and a moderate width (measured in the axial direction) of the retaining straps of, for example, 3 mm, the elastic restoring forces due to the torsion of these retaining straps are relatively small in comparison to the force that the retaining straps exert on the upper divider in the direction of the bottle neck,
As a result, the folded position of the closure achieved after overcoming a dead center remains essentially stable and the screw cap does not move disturbingly in front of or too close to the bottle neck opening.

So that the screw cap does not interfere, especially when drinking from the mouth of the bottle neck, in one embodiment the axis of the cap, which coincides with the axis of the bottle neck when the closure is closed, should assume a stable position after opening and folding over to the side, in which it is opposite the starting position or relative to the axis of the bottle neck is pivoted by at least 120 degrees, preferably by at least 140 °.

Given the functionality of the captive closure during and after the screw cap is folded over, it becomes clear that the specific restoring and stabilization forces caused depend on a whole series of interacting parameters, including, among other things, a certain axial width and the circumferential extent of the upper separating web fixed to the cap jacket , the difference between the outer radius of the bottle neck and the inner radius of the separator, which corresponds to the inner radius of the cap, as well as the circumferential extent of the weakening lines and the lower separator (and thus the length of the retaining straps).

The aforementioned parameters can be adjusted in different combinations so that the folding movement of the screw cap takes place via a dead center, so that the screw cap as a whole has a bistable position, with the screw cap in the fully opened, stable position not disturbing access to the bottle neck mouth. Preferred and practically operational values for the above parameters are given below and in the dependent claims.

In principle, it is expedient, although not mandatory, for each weakening line to have exactly one separator and for the centers of the separators to be diametrically opposed to one another. The separator of the lower weakening line, which is firmly connected to the remaining part of the guarantee band, limits the overlap between the upper and lower weakening lines in one direction and the overlap of the weakening lines determines the length of the retaining bands that connect the guarantee band remaining on the bottle neck to the screw cap jacket.

The separator of the upper weakening line expediently extends over a circumferential angle between 10° and 75°, preferably in the range between 20" and 60°. An angle in this range ensures that the separator is stable in itself and together with the cap jacket is folded over and when opening not only the cap jacket is bent over relative to the separator, and on the other hand this also ensures a sufficient force that holds the folded closure in its completely open position, for which the separator must have a certain minimum length in the circumferential direction.

The separating web of the lower weakening line, which is diametrically opposite the separating web of the upper weakening line, can extend over a circumferential angle between, for example, 120° and 200°, preferably between 170° and 190°, the difference in the circumferential angles of the upper and lower separating webs being the length of the Retaining straps are defined that extend between the remaining part of the guarantee band and the cap jacket.

The width of the separating web remaining on the cap jacket should preferably be at least half the width of the entire, intact, i.e. H. Guarantee band that has not yet been separated along the weakening lines, so that the torsion of this relatively wide section compared to the rest of the guarantee band causes a corresponding difference in diameter and length between the radially inner, lower edge of the separator and the upper edge of the separator that attaches to the screw cap.

Expressed in numbers, the width (in the intact state) measured in the axial direction of the separating web remaining on the cap jacket should be at least 1.5 mm, preferably at least 2 mm and in particular about 3 mm or more. The wall thickness of the guarantee band, on the other hand, is in a range between 0.3 and 0.8 mm, so it is clear that the forces caused in the band by twisting the separating bar relative to the rest of the band are due, among other things, to the different inner and outer radius of the twisted guarantee band sections (consisting of the retaining straps and the upper separator), which is larger the wider the twisted section is.

The minimum width of the retaining straps measured in the axial direction depends, among other things, on the specific plastic material used and also on the wall thickness of the retaining straps. The minimum distance between the weakening lines, which defines the minimum width of the retaining straps, should therefore be greater than 1 mm, preferably greater than 2 mm and in particular greater than 2.3 mm in one embodiment. An upper limit is set by the width of the guarantee band. The retaining straps, which are effectively formed as the sections of the guarantee band running between the dividing lines, then have sufficient tear strength to prevent the screw cap from being violently torn off from the guarantee band - at least by children's hands. The retaining straps are preferably tear-resistant up to a tensile force of at least 30 N, preferably at least 40 N.

The combination according to the invention of a bottle neck with an external thread and a closure as described above is characterized in that the outer diameter of the bottle neck above a pilferproof ring, the inner diameter of the guarantee band, as well as the width, the circumferential extent and any thickening of the upper Separator bars are coordinated with one another in such a way that after unscrewing and then folding over the screw cap, the free lower edge of the separator bar engages with the bottle neck. The retaining straps are twisted slightly. When a tilt angle of approximately 90° is exceeded, the cap with the separating bar is moved past a dead center, so that the outside of the separating bar then faces the outside of the bottle neck and the screw cap is folded over by more than 90° due to a certain tensile stress on the retaining straps Position is stabilized.

The tilt or fold angle is defined here as the angle between the axis of the bottle neck (which coincides with the closure axis when the bottle or container neck is closed by the closure) and the closure axis in the folded state.

The difference between the outside diameter of the bottle neck in an area above the pilferproof ring, in which the upper separating bar of the guarantee band is arranged on the bottle neck after opening the closure, should be at most 2.5 mm, preferably at most 1.5 mm, smaller than the nominal Inner diameter of the guarantee band. The “nominal inside diameter” refers to the inside diameter of the guarantee band without any flexible band section, which in particular also corresponds to the inside diameter of the cap in the area of the upper separator before the weakening lines are separated

In the variants discussed below, a small difference in diameter between the relevant section of the bottle neck or the pilferproof ring, along which the lower edge of the separator slides, and the diameter of the guarantee band is ensured by adjusting the bottle neck diameter or the pilferproof ring profile and thus also its diameter.

A small difference in diameter ensures that the lower edge of the separator, which is firmly connected to the lower edge of the cap jacket and is located above the pilferproof ring after the screw cap is unscrewed, engages with the bottle neck even at a relatively small tilt angle and even after When the dead center is exceeded, a force caused by this intervention acts between the bottle neck and the separating bar, which holds and stabilizes the folded screw cap in the wide open position.

In a variant of the combination of container neck with screw thread and closure according to the invention, the pilferproof ring has a profile which is defined by a lower flank, which extends in an axial section at at least 80 ° to the bottle neck axis, an area of maximum diameter and an upper flank, which extends at an angle of inclination <90° relative to the bottle neck axis and below the thread of the bottle neck merges into the outer bottle neck diameter. The upper flank or a section of the bottle neck extends above the upper flank of the profile of the pilferproof ring at least into one or up to an axial position which is reached by the lower edge (11a) of the upper separating web when the screw cap is folded to its maximum position. This section has a larger outer diameter than the bottle neck (20) without a thread profile or in the thread base.

This means that when the screw cap is unscrewed and folded over, the upper separator is first raised above the area of the maximum diameter of the pilferproof ring and its lower edge slides onto its upper flank, whereby the area in this area, which is covered by the lower edge of the separator, The enlarged bottle neck diameter pushes the separator further radially outwards than would be possible with the bottle neck diameter that would otherwise be present between the pilferproof ring and the thread and also at the base of the thread. This causes further torsion of the retaining straps and thus rotates the separator and the screw cap into an even further tilted position.

The difference between the outside diameter of the upper flank or the section above and the bottle neck diameter without thread profile, i.e. H. at the thread base, should be at least 0.1 mm, preferably at least 0.3 mm and up to 1 mm in the variant described above.

In particular, in the combination according to the invention of a container neck with screw thread and closure, the pilferproof ring has a triangular profile or a trapezoidal profile, the lower flank of which extends at an angle of 80 ° or more, i.e. perpendicular or almost perpendicular to the axis of the container neck, and the upper flank of which extends extends at an angle of about 30° or less to the axis of the container neck. When the container is opened by unscrewing the closure, the separator slides over the ridge between the flanks of the pilferproof ring, after which the upper flank of the pilferproof ring first comes into engagement with the separator. Due to the small angle of the upper flank, the flank has a large axial extent and the area of a diameter defined by this flank, which is larger than the above-mentioned bottle neck diameter, can easily extend beyond the opening and folding of a screw cap from the lower edge of the Extend the area covered by the divider.

Furthermore, the cylindrical neck section of the container neck, on which the cylindrical external thread is provided, can generally have a slightly (approx. 0.3 - 0.8 mm) larger diameter below the thread and above the pilferproof ring than above it, which results in an even larger diameter leads to a tighter engagement between the lower edge of the upper separator and the bottle neck and thus tends to further increase the tilt angle between the bottle neck axis and the axis of the closure

Some established bottleneck standards cannot be changed in the short term and can otherwise only be changed with effort and with the agreement of many parties involved, so that as a result the diameter of a bottleneck or pilferproof ring and its profile are initially viewed as unchangeable. For this purpose, a further embodiment of a closure is presented, which is suitable for Designed for use on standard bottle necks that have a standard thread depth of 1.3 mm or more. An example of this is the bottleneck according to the PCO standard 1881.

With a deeper thread, the inner radius of the cap jacket also has a larger difference to the outer radius of the bottle neck than with a less deep thread, since the inner radius of the cap jacket corresponds at least to the radius of the thread base of the screw cap, which in turn is slightly larger than the outer radius of the bottle neck thread.

This applies accordingly to the lower edge area of the cap jacket and the separating strip attached to it.

For such deeper threads, another parameter of the closure can be taken into account in order to ensure a sufficiently large and stable folding angle of the closure in the open state, namely the radial thickness of the upper separator at its lower edge.

When the guarantee band is intact, the lower edge of the upper separator runs along the lower weakening line and is limited by it.

In one embodiment, which is intended primarily for closures and bottles that have a thread depth beyond 1.2 or 1.3 mm, it is provided that the separating web of the upper weakening line has a radial thickening at least on its free lower edge.

In particular, this lower edge (in the closed state) is thickened radially outwards. This thickening then lies above the pilferproof ring on the bottle neck after the screw cap has been opened and folded over. This thickening on the separator compensates for at least part of the difference in radius between the bottle neck and the inner radius of the upper separator, which, as explained above, is also enlarged due to the deeper thread. The radial thickening is provided on the outside of the separator and at least at one or two positions in the area of its lower edge. After the cap has been folded over by more than 90°, the radial thickening rests on the bottle neck or on the upper flank of the pilferproof ring. The radial thickening on the divider thus forces the area of the divider that lies radially within the thickening - in relation to the cap - radially further outwards, especially at its lower edge with respect to the bottle neck, which effectively means that the part of the divider that is intended without the thickening assumes exactly the same position and angular position as with a smaller radius difference between the bottle neck and the inside of the separator.

In one variant, the wall thickness of the separator is up to 1 mm due to a radial thickening of its lower edge, with "thickening" meaning the radial projection of this area beyond the otherwise cylindrical surface of the guarantee band. With a wall thickness of the remaining guarantee band of approximately 0.3 to 0.8 mm, this thickening is between 0.2 and 0.7 mm, in particular 0.2 to 0.4 mm. Without this thickening, the wall thickness of the guarantee band - apart from the weakening lines - is essentially constant and equal to the wall thickness of the cap jacket.

The thickening can also extend over the entire guarantee band section below the separating web, d, h to the lower edge of the guarantee band and in particular also along the entire circumference of a lower guarantee band section below a line, and between the upper and lower weakening lines and at a distance from these lie. This simplifies production in an injection mold and in particular also the creation of the lower weakening line compared to a variant which has a radial thickening limited to only an area along the lower edge of the separating web.

The radial thickening of the upper separator is particularly noticeable with larger thread depths on the bottle neck beyond 1.3 mm, such as threads of the widely used standard type PCO1881. The thickening has a stabilizing effect on the folded position of the open cap and holds it Axis of the screw cap when open is tilted by more than 120, preferably by more than 140 ° relative to the bottle neck axis.

The axial dimensions of all parts below the cap jacket together, which conventionally form a guarantee band, are in practice limited to a total of approximately 5 to 6 mm. On the one hand, the demand for material savings and the specifications limit through appropriately adjusted ones Bottle necks this axial dimension upwards. This dimension is limited at the bottom by sufficient functional stability. On the one hand, a guarantee band must be secured to the bottle neck in such a way that it is practically impossible to remove it from the bottle neck without causing damage. On the other hand, it must also withstand the forces of applying the closure to a bottle neck thread, especially while it is being moved over the pilferproof ring. These conditions can no longer be met if significant parts of the guarantee band are axially shorter than, for example, 2 mm (apart from easily breakable bridges that may be distributed along a line of weakness).

If, as in the present case, the closure part below the cap jacket is additionally divided into the elements stationary part, retaining straps and separating webs, there is only little scope for varying the axial width of the retaining straps and the axial height of the separating webs. In practice, both dimensions are in the range of 2 - 3 mm. In the circumferential area of the retaining straps and the upper separating web, an axial width of approximately 2 - 3 mm remains for the stationary outer guarantee strap section. For practical reasons, any axial variation in the course of the weakening lines along their circumferential extent would also be limited to an axial area of a maximum of 1 mm wide. This would not change the basic function of a closure according to the invention and is therefore not discussed in detail here.

In one embodiment of the invention, the stationary part also forms a flexible band with the outer stationary section already described and a part folded inwards and upwards, which engages with the pilferproof ring of a bottle neck.

In a further variant, the closure is designed for use on an opening nozzle of a cardboard packaging.

Such a screw cap for cardboard packaging has a closure base with a circumferential flange on which can be connected in a sealed manner to the surface of a cardboard packaging, as well as a cylindrical pouring spout adjoining the flange, which has an upper external and a lower internal opening, a screw cap with an internal thread, that can be screwed onto an external thread of the pouring spout, a cutting ring arranged in the pouring spout, which has at least one cutting edge projecting axially inwards on its lower edge, and an axial lifting and driving device on the cutting ring and the screw cap, which has one on the inside of the Screw cap attached driver and an axial lifting device which, when rotating the screw cap in the opening direction, moves the cutting ring axially in the direction of the lower opening and in the circumferential direction and thereby makes an at least partially circular cut in the container surface.

For such a closure, the object on which the invention is based is also achieved in that the screw cap has a circumferential guarantee band on the lower edge of its cap jacket, which with an inner projection engages behind a pilferproof ring on the outside of the pouring spout below the pouring thread, the guarantee band being connected by two separate, partially circumferential and partially overlapping and non-crossing cuts in the circumferential direction are partially divided and partially separated from the jacket of the screw cap, so that in the areas of the cuts overlapping in the circumferential direction, a tether is formed from parts of the guarantee band, which is the one from the External thread loosened screw cap holds on to the lower part of the guarantee band that remains divided on the closure.

This variant can also have all the features of the dependent claims, with regard to the combination of bottle neck and closure, the respective bottle neck would have to be replaced by the lower closure part attached to a beverage carton.

With such a closure, the cutting ring has on its outside a second external thread which is in the opposite direction to the external thread of the pouring spout and which engages with a matching second internal thread on the inside of the pouring spout,
In this variant, the second internal thread and the second external thread can have a greater pitch than the internal thread of the screw cap and the external thread of the pouring spout, with the factor between the different pitches preferably being at least 1.5

Figur 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht des Verschlusses gemäß der vorliegenden Erfindung

Figur 2

den Verschluss nach Figur 1 in einer Seitenansicht,

Figur 3

eine 360°-Abwicklung des Garantiebandes des Verschlusses aus Figur 2,

Figuren 4 A-C

den Verschluss nach Figur 1 in verschiedenen Stadien eines Öffnungsvorganges,

Figur 5

einen umgeklappten Verschluss, bei welchem der Trennsteg mit der oberen Flanke eines Pilferproofringes in Eingriff ist,

Figur 6A

eine Detailansicht aus Figur 5,

Figur 6B

einen axial Schnitt durch einen Flaschenhals mit einem Pilferproofring gemäß der Erfindung,

Figur 7

Ein Detail analog zu Figur 5 mit einer anderen Profilform eines Pilferproofringes,

Figuren 8A, 8B

Varianten der Ausgestaltung eines Flaschenhalses im Bereich oberhalb eines Pilferproofringes,

Figur 9

eine Seitenansicht einer weiteren Ausführungsform eines Verschlusses, teilweise im Schnitt, insbesondere für größere Gewindetiefen, im geschlossenen Zustand

Figur 9A

eine vergrößerte Schnittansicht des Detailbereiches B in Figur 9

Figur 10

eine Seitenansicht der Ausführungsform nach Figur 9 im offenen Zustand, teilweise

im

Schnitt,

Figur 10A

eine vergrößerte Schnittansicht des Details A aus Figur 10

Figur 11

einen axialen Schnitt durch einen Verschluss für Getränkekartons gemäß einer erfindungsgemäßen Kombination,

Figur 12

den Verschluss nach Figur 11 in einer Ansicht von außen im geschlossenen Zustand,

Figur 13

den geschlossenen Verschluss nach Figur 11 in einer Ansicht von oben.

Figur 14

den Verschluss nach Figur 11 in einem teilweise geöffneten Zustand und

Figur 15

einen vollständig geöffneten Verschluss gemäß Figur 11 mit einer umgeklappten Schraubkappe.

Furthermore, the driver of the screw cap can be designed as a lifting cam with a surface or edge inclined to the closure axis and an element of the cutting ring can be designed as a cam follower, and radially overlapping guide elements can be provided on the outside of the cutting ring and on the inside of the pouring spout, the guide elements at the beginning of an opening rotation of the screw cap, only allow an axial movement of the cutting ring and only after reaching a predetermined axial position of the cutting ring allow the cutting ring to be taken along in the circumferential direction and limit further axial movement,
Further advantages, features and possible applications of the present invention become clear from the following description of a preferred embodiment and the associated figures. Show it:

Figure 1

a perspective view of the closure according to the present invention

Figure 2

the shutter Figure 1 in a side view,

Figure 3

a 360° development of the guarantee band of the closure Figure 2 ,

Figures 4 AC

the shutter Figure 1 in different stages of an opening process,

Figure 5

a folded closure, in which the separating bar engages with the upper flank of a pilferproof ring,

Figure 6A

a detailed view Figure 5 ,

Figure 6B

an axial section through a bottle neck with a pilferproof ring according to the invention,

Figure 7

A detail analogous to Figure 5 with a different profile shape of a pilferproof ring,

Figures 8A, 8B

Variants of the design of a bottle neck in the area above a pilferproof ring,

Figure 9

a side view of a further embodiment of a closure, partially in section, especially for larger thread depths, in the closed state

Figure 9A

an enlarged sectional view of the detail area B in Figure 9

Figure 10

a side view of the embodiment Figure 9 in the open state, partially

in the

Cut,

Figure 10A

an enlarged sectional view of detail A Figure 10

Figure 11

an axial section through a closure for beverage cartons according to a combination according to the invention,

Figure 12

the shutter Figure 11 in a view from the outside in the closed state,

Figure 13

the closed shutter Figure 11 in a view from above.

Figure 14

the shutter Figure 11 in a partially opened state and

Figure 15

a fully opened shutter Figure 11 with a folded screw cap.

According to the perspective view in Figure 1 The closure of a combination according to the invention consists of a screw cap 10 with a guarantee band, the screw cap 10 essentially consisting of a cap jacket 2 and a head plate 1, which closes the cylindrical cap jacket 2 at the top. At the lower end of the cap jacket 2 there is a guarantee band 3, which cannot be completely separated from the screw cap 10 when the closure is in place.

Usual screw caps with a guarantee band only have a single weakening line, which, unlike the weakening line 13 shown here, runs without interruption along the entire circumference of the screw cap 10 and represents the dividing line between the screw cap 10 and the guarantee band 3.

A weakening line can generally be a circumferential, uniform material weakening, which can be created, for example, by an incision that does not completely penetrate the material of the guarantee band 3 or the transition to the cap jacket 2, or it can be an incision that completely penetrates the wall thickness of the guarantee band 3 Incision, which is interrupted at individual points by easily breakable bridges.

The present invention deviates from this usual form of screw caps with a guarantee band in that it has two weakening lines 13, 14 which, on the one hand, are spaced apart from one another in the axial direction and, on the other hand, do not extend over the entire circumference of the guarantee band, but in an upper one Separating web 11 of the upper weakening line 13 and in a lower separating web 12 of the lower weakening line 14 are interrupted.

The Figure 2 is side view of the shutter Figure 1 to recognize and Figure 3 shows a development of the guarantee band 3 over 360°, ie the ends of the guarantee band shown on the right and left at 0° and 360°, respectively, abut each other and hang together, so that the guarantee band has a ring shape overall. The separation in this development representation divides the divider 12 into two parts, although it is actually a single, connected divider.

The interruption lines 13, 14 are of different lengths, but are arranged so that they overlap the separating web 11 or 12 of the other weakening line. It is expedient if the centers of the separating webs 11, 12 are diametrically opposite one another, as in the present case at 0° and 180° Figure 3 .

If, after opening or unscrewing the screw cap from a container neck, the weak connection initially still existing along the weakening lines 13, 14 is completely separated, the retaining straps 15, 16 formed in the overlap area of the weakening line form a substantially tear-resistant connection between the interruption areas 11, 12 . The interruption area 11 is connected to the lower edge of the screw cap and the interruption area 12 is connected to the part of the guarantee band 3 that remains in its original position and is located below the weakening line 14.

The part of the guarantee band 3 remaining below the weakening line 14, together with the interruption area 12, forms a completely circumferential fastening band between the screw cap and the neck of the container, which engages with the container neck. The interruption areas 12 and 11 are each connected to one another by remaining retaining straps 15, 16, which are created by the overlapping sections of the two weakening lines 13, 14, so that effectively the screw cap 10 is connected via the retaining straps 15, 16 to the lower section of the guarantee strap and thus remains connected to the container neck and is therefore captive.

In Figure 4A one can see a closure arranged on a container neck in a partially unscrewed state. The connection between screw cap 10 and guarantee band 3 is separated along both weakening lines 13,14. However, since both weakening lines are interrupted and axially offset from one another at least in their overlap area, a movable connection between screw cap 10 and guarantee band 3 remains via the retaining bands 15, 16 created between the overlapping weakening lines. It is therefore understood that when the closure or the screw cap 10 is loosened by a rotational movement in the opening direction with the cap jacket 2, the guarantee band 3 also rotates about the closure axis 50, which is carried along by the retaining bands 15, 16 in the circumferential direction.

Due to the thread pitch, the cap jacket moves axially upwards, while the guarantee band is held on a so-called pilferproof ring 21, which can only be seen in a hint in the figures. You recognize in Figure 4A However, the separating webs 11 and 12 as well as one of the retaining straps 15 extending between them, while the weakening lines 13, 14 are otherwise widened to a large axial distance.

Once the screw cap is in place Figure 4A If the screw cap is unscrewed sufficiently far from the thread of the container neck, the screw cap can be removed or tilted away to the side, as shown in Figure 4B is shown. Figure 4C shows a state in which the screw cap 10 is already more than 90° relative to the starting position in Figure 4A tilted or folded over. The tilt angle is defined as the angle between the axis 50 of the container neck and the axis 50 'of the cylindrical internal thread of the cap jacket 2, which coincide in the closed state of the closure on the container neck, while in the case of the open closure according to Figure 4C the axes 50, 50 'have been tilted relative to one another by approximately 150°, starting from the closed position.

The interruption area 11 is particularly important because of the connection with the cap jacket simply represents a relatively stable, axial extension of the cap jacket 2. By tilting the screw cap accordingly Figure 4C This divider 11 will also be in In the form of a tab-like extension, it tilts together with the stable closure jacket and has in Figure 4C a horizontal position (perpendicular to the axis 50) has already been slightly exceeded, with the retaining straps 15, 16 being twisted accordingly.

The lower edge 11a of the separating web 11 engages with the outside of the container neck 20, since the edge 11a is smaller due to the tilting of the screw cap and also due to its axial displacement beyond the pilferproof ring 21 and due to the twisting of the retaining straps 15, 16 Radius is forced as in the condition according to Figure 4A . An upper flank of the pilferproof ring 21, which is inclined by approximately 30° or slightly less relative to the closure axis 50, supports the folding movement of the separating web 11 when it slides onto the upper flank of the pilferproof ring 21
The upper edge of the separating web 11, which is firmly connected to the lower edge of the cap jacket 2, moves accordingly to a larger radius than in the initial state Figure 4A . The two retaining straps 15, 16 are twisted and the axial displacement of the upper separating web 11 of the guarantee band also leads to an effective reduction in the diameter of the guarantee band including the separating web 11, especially in the area of the lower edge 11a.

This lower edge 11a of the separating web 11 therefore comes into contact with the outside of the container neck 20 and into frictional engagement, the force occurring between the container neck 20 and the separating web 11 or the edge 11a becoming maximum when the separating web 11 is approximately horizontal, i.e. H. is aligned perpendicular to the axis of the container neck 50. The retaining straps 15,16 are then under tension.

If the screw cap and the separating bar 11 are tilted further, the tension in the retaining straps, which have a certain elasticity, is reduced again somewhat, so that the horizontal position of the separating bar 11 defines a dead center. As soon as this dead center is exceeded, the engagement between the separating web 11 and the container neck 20 effectively causes a force that tends to move the screw cap into the further folded position against elastic restoring forces in the retaining straps 15, 16. The cap jacket 2 and thus the screw cap 10 as a whole thus assume a sufficiently stable position beyond the dead center. The screw cap therefore remains in a wide open state even if the container neck is rotated or tilted in any direction.

In this position, the cap jacket is sufficiently far away from the container neck opening so that liquid is poured out of the bottle as well as directly out of the bottle can be drunk without the screw cap still attached to the neck of the container having a disruptive effect.

The screw cap 10 is preferably tilted in such a way that it is in a sufficiently stable position and the cap jacket 2 has the maximum possible distance from the container neck opening. In order to make this possible, in the sense of the present invention, the pilferproof ring 21 on the container neck 20 can, among other things, be designed in such a way that the screw cap 10 is pressed radially outwards when folded over, thereby causing a greater torsion of the retaining straps 15, 16 and consequently an increase in the tilt angle.

In the Figures 5, 6A, 6B , 7, 8A and 8B Embodiments with pilferproof rings 21 designed in this way are shown.

Figure 5 shows a side view of a shutter that is in a folded position. The area in which the separating web 11 engages with the container neck 20, more precisely with the pilferproof ring 21, is shown in a cross-sectional view and enlarged in Figure 6A shown.

According to Figure 6A the profile of the pilferproof ring 21 is essentially triangular. The profile in this case can also be described as nose-shaped. A lower flank 22 of the pilferproof ring extends almost perpendicular to the axis of the container neck 50. In accordance with the triangular profile, this lower flank 22 converges with an upper flank 24 in an area of the maximum diameter. The area of the maximum diameter is designed here as a rounded edge, which is also referred to here as a ridge 23 running between the lower flank 22 and the upper flank 24. The upper flank 24 is at the in Figure 6A Embodiment shown is significantly flatter than the lower flank compared to the container neck 20. In this case, the upper flank extends at an angle of approximately 30° to the axis of the container neck 50.

When screwing on the screw cap 10, the upper separating web 11 is now lifted over the ridge 23, in which the pilferproof ring 21 has its maximum diameter. During the subsequent tilting, the retaining straps 15 and 16 are twisted and the lower edge 11A of the separating web 11 slides onto the upper flank 24 of the pilferproof ring 21. The separating web 11 is swept over by the diameter D of the upper flank 24, which is larger than the outer container neck diameter d, in which the lower edge 11A of the separating web 11 covers it Area held further radially outward than would be possible with the container neck diameter d as would otherwise be between the pilferproof ring 21 and thread 25 and also at the thread base is available. Through this effect, the in Figure 5 shown retaining straps 15, 16 have a stronger torsion and the screw cap 10 or its axis 50 'is tilted at a larger tilt angle relative to the axis of the container neck 50 than without it in the Figures 5 and 6A shown profile of the pilferproof ring 21 would be possible.

At the in Figure 5 In the embodiment shown, the tilt angle is approximately 150°.

Another profile of a Pilferproofring 21 is in Figure 6B shown. Compared to that in Figure 6A In the profile shown, the upper flank 24 is in this case even flatter compared to the container neck 20. The upper flank forms an angle of approximately 10° with the axis 50 of the container neck. In addition, the upper flank 24 extends over a larger axial section of the container neck 20.

Through such a profile of the Pilferproof ring 21, as shown in the Figures 6A or 6B is shown, it can be structurally determined that the separating web 11 or its lower edge 11a remains on the upper flank 24 and thus lies on a larger radius than without the axially extended flank 24 (due to the smaller angle to the axis 50). The larger the radius on which the edge 11a is held after folding, the more the retaining straps 15, 16 are twisted and the larger the tilt angle of the screw cap 10 is in a sufficiently stable end position of the screw cap 10.

In the Figures 7, 8A and 8B Further examples are shown in which the pilferproof ring 21 has such a profile according to the invention or the container neck above the pilferproof ring has corresponding additional elements. In Figure 7 the profile is designed similar to a trapezoid, with the lower flank 22 extending almost perpendicular to the axis of the container neck 50 and the upper flank 24 extending at an angle of approximately 45 ° to the axis of the container neck 50. The area of maximum diameter 23 extends axially upwards to such an extent that the separating web 11 remains largely below the upper flank 24 and is thus pressed radially outwards and, in turn, the tilt angle of the container neck 20 when it rests on the smaller (outer) diameter d Screw cap 10 enlarged In Figure 8A a profile of a pilferproof ring 21 is shown, which in the lower area corresponds to the profile from the Figures 5 and 6A resembles. The upper flank 24 at the in Figure 8A The embodiment shown merges into a short, cylindrical upper end section 24B, which defines a larger diameter D compared to the smaller diameter d of the container neck, against which the separating web 11 or its lower edge rests when the screw cap 10 is folded over. This ensures in particular that the screw cap 10 subsequently has a larger size Tilt angle in a sufficiently stable end position.

Another alternative is in Figure 8B shown. In addition to the pilferproof ring 21, the container neck here has an annular projection 26 which is arranged circumferentially above the upper flank 24 of the pilferproof ring 21 on the container neck. The axial position of the projection 26 is matched to the closure or the screw cap with the separating web 11 in such a way that it or its lower edge 11a abuts against the projection 26 from below and the screw cap is thus held at the bottom in the immediate vicinity of the pilferproof ring. Without a projection 29, the bands 15 could pull the upper separator and thus the entire screw cap slightly upwards until the edge of the separator abuts the thread. There is little space between the lower end of the neck thread and the pilferproof ring and the possibility of upward movement of the separator is very small. Since the thread runs helically upwards, this axial freedom of movement increases until, with a single-start thread, it is rotated 360° to the lower thread start at e.g. B. 2.7mm pitch also reaches almost 2.7mm. Since it is undesirable to allow the screw cap to come closer to the cheek of the person drinking directly from the bottle for this freedom of movement, the circumferential projection 26 prevents or hinders this upward movement.

Figure 9 shows a further screw cap according to the present invention, partially shown in section. The screw cap 10 has the guarantee band 3 on its lower edge and a detail A of the lower region of the screw cap shown in section, including the part of an associated container neck 20, is shown as an enlarged detail Figure 9A shown separately.

The screw cap 10 in the Figures 9, 9A and 10, 10A is the one in the Figures 5 and 6A screw cap shown is already very similar, with the exception of the fact that at least the separator 11 has a radial thickening 11b on its lower edge, which in the present case also extends axially below and at the level of the thickening of the separator 11 over the entire circumference of the guarantee band 3 . In this section, the guarantee band has a greater wall thickness below an imaginary line that lies between the upper and lower weakening lines and at a distance from them than in the case of Figures 5 and 6 ,

The thickening 11b, at the lower edge of the separating web 11, has the purpose of keeping the opened screw cap wide open even when using a thread with a thread depth of more than 1.3 mm, as shown, for example Figure 10 is shown.

The upper weakening line 13 is because of the cutting plane Figure 9 not present in the area of the separating web 11. The separating web 11 is therefore continuously connected to the cap jacket 2. The axial position of the upper weakening line would be approximately at the level of the maximum diameter of the pilferproof ring 21.

The fastening part of the guarantee band is formed by a flexible band. This consists of a radially inner, upwardly folded part 3a and a radially outer flexible band section 3b, which remains stationary on the container neck even after the closure has been opened.

How to get in Figure 10A recognizes which shows an enlarged detail of the closure in the opened position according to. Figure 10 shows, the radial thickening 11b, which lies here in the area of the transition between the upper flank of the pilferproof ring 21 and the container neck section above it, causes the imaginary radially inner part 11c of the separating web 11 (which corresponds to a separating web without thickening), and in particular its lower edge is pressed radially outwards more strongly by the container neck 20 than if the thickening 11b were not present. As a result, the screw cap 10 remains in a stable, folded position, for example by 140°, despite the deeper thread profile.

The Figures 11 - 15 each show the same embodiment of a closure for cardboard packaging, in particular beverage cartons, and are therefore described in connection with one another. You recognize in Figure 11 on average and in Figure 14 in an external view a container neck 40, which consists of a flange 31 with a pouring spout 32 attached to it. The pouring spout has an upper opening and a lower opening, not visible here, which, when the closure is on a cardboard packaging, is initially closed by the surface of the cardboard material to prevent any contamination of the container contents.

The flange 31 is glued or welded onto a cardboard 45, whereby the welding requires that the cardboard material 45 is provided with a suitable surface coating (e.g. polyethylene).

Container neck 40 has an external thread 42 onto which the internal thread 41 of a screw cap 10 can be screwed.

The pouring spout 32 also has a further internal thread 31, into which a matching external thread of a cutting ring 35 engages, which also projects axially and in the closed state Figure 11 has cutting elements 33 lying directly above the surface of the cardboard 45. A driver 34 occurs with a matching counterpart 36 Cutting ring 35 engages when the screw cap is rotated in the opening direction. You can also see a fixing web 7 on the flange, which is connected to the lower end of the guarantee band 30 via two easily breakable bridges 6. The guarantee band shows how best to get in Figure 2 recognizes two cutting lines 18, 19, either through weakened material of the guarantee band 30 or, as in the present case, are defined by continuous cuts that are only interrupted by further easily breakable bridges that tear open when the screw cap is opened. The lower cutting line 18 and the upper cutting line 19 overlap each other, in the present case along a circumferential angle of approximately 120 °, and each have a lower interruption section 12 and an upper interruption section 11. When the screw cap 10 is unscrewed, the easily breakable bridges 6 tear first and very quickly, indicating that the closure has been rotated at least once through a small angle in the opening direction, which may be sufficient for the cutting elements to pierce the cardboard material 45.

When the screw cap 10 is rotated further in the opening direction, the easily breakable bridges of the cutting lines also tear, but this does not lead to a complete separation of the screw cap from the guarantee band, since the upper interruption section 11 is over the retaining bands 15, 16 (only one in the figures visible) remains connected to the lower interruption section 12, which in turn remains connected to the circumferential, stationary lower part of the guarantee band 30, which in turn is held on the pilferproof ring 35 on the container neck 40.

The length of the retaining straps 15,16, ie the length of the overlapping areas of the cutting lines, is according to Figure 14 adjusted so that the lower edge of the upper interruption section 11 engages with the outside of the container neck 40 when the screw cap 20 is open and folded by approximately 150 ° and the retaining straps 15, 16 are under tension, so that this position of the screw cap is affected by the train the retaining straps and the contact of the lower edge of the interruption section 11 is held by the screw cap 10, even if the pouring spout is tilted in any direction together with the corresponding container.

Reference symbol list

1

Headstock

2

Cap coat

3, 30

Guarantee band

3a

Inner flex band section

3b

Outer flex band section

10

screw cap

11a

lower edge

11,12

Dividers

11b

radial thickening

13, 14, 18, 19

Weakening lines, cutting lines

15,16

Retaining straps

20, 40

container neck

21

Pilferproof ring

22

lower flank

23

Area of maximum diameter

24

upper flank

24A

lower section of the upper flank

24B

upper end section of the upper flank

25

thread

26

head Start

50

Axis of the container neck

50'

Axis of the shutter

d

Container neck diameter without thread profile

D

Outer diameter of the upper flank or the section above it

Claims (16)

1. A combination of a container neck (20, 40) with an external thread and a closure, wherein the closure consists of a screw cap (10) with a guarantee band (3, 30), wherein the screw cap has at least one cylindrical cap skirt (2) with an internal thread and a circumferential guarantee band (3, 30) at the lower, open end of the cap skirt (2), wherein the guarantee band is connected to the lower edge of the cap skirt along easily tearable weakening lines (13, 14, 18, 19), the guarantee band (3, 30) remaining non-detachably connected to the cap skirt (2) via holding bands (15, 16) after tearing along the weakening lines, the holding bands (15, 16) being formed by two weakening lines (13, 14) or cutting lines (18, 19) which are each interrupted at least once in the circumferential direction, partially overlap in the circumferential direction and extend at least in the overlap region at an axial distance from one another, characterised in that the separating webs (11, 12) of both weakening lines (13, 14) or cutting lines (18, 19) are bridged by the respective other weakening line (14, 13) or cutting line (19, 18) at an axial distance, wherein the outer diameter of the container neck (20, 40) measured above a pilferproof ring (21), the inner diameter of the guarantee band (3, 30), and the width and the circumferential extent of the upper separating web (11) are adjusted to one another, that after an opening rotation of the screw cap and the subsequent tilting of the screw cap (10) upon torsion of the holding bands (15, 16) together with the separating web (11), a free lower edge of the separating web (11a) engages with the container neck (20, 40) and is moved beyond a dead centre when a tilting angle of more than 90° is exceeded, so that the outside of the separating web (11) then comes into contact with the outside of the container neck (20, 40) and the screw cap (10) is stabilised in this position tilted by more than 90°.
2. The combination according to claim 1, characterised in that each weakening line (13, 14) or cutting line (18, 19) has exactly one separating web and the centres of the separating webs (11, 12) are diametrically opposite each other.
3. The combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the separating web (11) of the upper weakening line (13) or cutting line (19) extends over a circumferential angle of between 10° and 75°, preferably between 20° and 60°.
4. The combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the separating web (12) of the lower weakening line (14) or cutting line (18) extends over a circumferential angle of between 120° and 200°, preferably between 170° and 190°.
5. The combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the width, measured in the axial direction, of the upper separating web (11) remaining on the cap skirt (2) is at least half the width of the intact guarantee band (3, 30).
6. The combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the width, measured in the axial direction, of the upper separating web (11) remaining on the cap skirt (2) is at least 1.5 mm, preferably at least 2 mm, in particular at least 2.5 mm and less than 5 mm.
7. The combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the separating web (11) of the upper weakening line or cutting line has a radial thickening at least at its free lower edge.
8. The combination according to claim 7, characterised in that the radial thickening is limited to the outside of the guarantee band (3, 30) and in that the radial oversize of the thickening compared to the wall thickness of the guarantee band outside the thickening is up to 0.6 mm, preferably between 0.2 and 0.4 mm.
9. The combination according to one of the preceding claims 7 or 8, characterised in that the radial thickening extends over the entire circumference and/or to the lower edge of the guarantee band (3, 30).
10. The combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the wall thickness of the guarantee band (3, 30) outside any radial thickening is between 0.5 and 0.8 mm.
11. The combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the guarantee band (3) is configured as a flex band with a radially outer part and a folded-over radially inner part.
12. The combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the minimum distance between the weakening lines (13, 14) or cutting lines (18, 19) is greater than 1.5 mm, preferably greater than 2 mm and in particular greater than 2.5 mm.
13. The combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the outer diameter of the container neck (20, 40) in a region above a pilferproof ring (21) in which the guarantee band (3, 30) of the closure is arranged is at most 2.5 mm, preferably at most 1.5 mm, smaller than the nominal inner diameter of the guarantee band (3, 30).
14. The combination according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pilfer-proof ring (21) has a profile which is defined by a lower flank (22) which extends in an axial section at at least 80° to the axis of the container neck (50), a region of maximum diameter (23) and an upper flank (24) which extends at an angle of inclination < 90° relative to the axis of the container neck (50) and extends below the thread (25) of the container neck (20, 40) merging into the outer container neck diameter, wherein the upper flank (24) or a section of the container neck above the upper flank (24) of the profile of the pilferproof ring (21) has a larger outer diameter than the container neck (20, 40) without thread profile at least at or up to an axial position which is reached by the lower edge (11a) of the upper separating web in a maximally folded down position of the screw cap.
15. The combination according to claim 14, characterised in that the difference between the outer diameter (D) of the upper flank or the section above it and the container neck diameter (d) without thread profile is at least 0.1 mm, preferably at least 0.3 mm.
16. The combination according to claim 14 or 15, characterised in that the pilfer-proof ring (21) has a triangular or trapezoidal profile whose base is defined by a line parallel to the axis on the cylindrical outer surface of the container neck and whose lower flank forms an angle >80° with the axis (50) of the container neck (20), the upper flank of the profile forming an angle ≤ 40°, in particular ≤ 30°, with the axis (50) of the container neck (20).

Images