FR2554791A1 - MOUTH CLOSURE CAP - Google Patents

Abstract

THE INVENTION RELATES TO A MOLDED CLOSING CAP, INDICATION OF SPOLIATION. THIS CAP INCLUDES A BAND 4 SPOLIATION INDICATOR WHICH IS CONNECTED TO THE LOWER EDGE OF A SKIRT 3, JOINT ABOVE 2 OF THE CAP, BY LEGS 12 GOING OVER A SLOT 13 EXTENDING ALL THE PERIOD OF THE CAP . STOPS 9, 10, RESPECTIVELY JOINT CONTAINER 7 AND CAP 1, ALLOW THE TIGHTENING OF THE LATTER, BUT OPPOSE ITS UNSCREWING, CAUSING THE BREAKING OF THE LEGS 12. FIELD OF APPLICATION: CLOSING OF CONTAINERS WITH THREADED CHUDS, ETC.

Description

The invention relates to molded plastic closure plugs

  intended for containers such as food packaging and others. The invention more particularly relates to a closure plug with which a control or indicator strip of spoliation is molded which is formed with the closure and which is placed on the container with

  the plug during a normal shutter operation.

  This band engages with complementary stops which are carried by the container and tear the band of the closure cap when attempting to open the package partially or completely, unauthorized or accidental, during transport or during the

presentation in store.

  There are a number of closure plugs of this general type including aluminum closures and a number of molded plastic closures. The aluminum closures generally require a separate operation, when sealing the package, for rolling the spoliation indicator strips on the ring of the container. The earlier molded plastic closure caps were designed to have spoliation indicator strips applied directly to the closure at

  moment of screwing of these on the containers.

  These closures presented problems including difficulties in making closures with satisfactory lines of notches or other lines of weakness defining the band. Difficulties have also been encountered in the use of separate indenting means or in plug making molds which required excessive numbers of pieces or excessive wear in the mold.

production of these plugs.

  The closure cap according to the invention solves these problems by an improved design which simplifies the manufacture or molding of the cap and which uses relatively simple molds. At the same time, a plug is obtained which can be easily laid without breaking or premature separation of the strip. The strip of the stopper according to the invention produces a positive action indicating spoliation showing

  clearly that the packaging has been stolen.

  The invention therefore relates to an improved molded plastic closure, to witness

of spoliation.

  The invention also relates to such a closure which can be manufactured more easily and can be laid easily, without premature separation

  the spoliation indicator band.

  The subject of the invention is also a spoliation control closure which is reliable and which is resistant to

damage.

  The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of non-limiting examples and in which: - Figure 1 is a perspective view of a closed package with the closure cap according to the invention; ; - Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating the closure cap before laying on a preferred container end; - Figure 3 is an elevation of the package of Figure 1; - Figure 4 is a horizontal section along the line 4-4 of Figure 3; - Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the closure cap removed from the container; - Figure 6 is a vertical section along the line 6-6 of Figure 3; - Figure 7 is a vertical section along the line 7-7 of Figure 5; FIG. 8 is a vertical section of a preferred embodiment of a device for molding the closure cap according to the invention; FIG. 9 is an enlarged vertical section of a portion of the molding device of FIG. 8; - Figure 10 is a horizontal section along the line 10-10 of Figure 9; and - Figure 11 is a vertical section of a

  another embodiment of the molding device.

  The invention relates to a one-piece molded closure plug for containers made of glass, plastics or the like and comprising a control or indicator strip for spoliation. As described more fully hereinafter, the spoliation indicator strip is molded together with the remaining portion of the closure cap. The strip is removably connected to the lower portion of the cap skirt. It cooperates with elements provided at the mouth of the container so as to be torn and to fall from the skirt of the cap

  when you rotate it to remove it.

  This rapid separation of the band therefore indicates

  immediately intentional or accidental loosening of the closure cap. This gives an immediate indication of the destruction of the closure of the package when the closure has been partially or completely removed. This indication provides a guarantee to the end buyer who can reject dubious packaging

  and choose a completely closed and satisfactory packaging.

  The preferred embodiment of the closure cap 1 comprises a top 2, a down skirt 3 and a spoliation indicator band 4, made in one piece with the skirt and running downwards from the lower edge of this skirt 3. The inner surface of the skirt 3 of the cap comprises means for engaging with a container, such as continuous threads 5 or other types of engagement members with a container by rotation. The top of the container 7 comprises complementary means intended to engage with the closure, such as continuous threads 6 or other types of engagement means with a closure,

by rotation.

  An interlocking ring 8 with the band is

  formed on the top of the container 7, below the threads 6.

  This ring 8, which protrudes outwards, comprises

  a number of spaced apart stops 9 protruding radially

  outwardly and intended to engage with corresponding stops 10 formed on the inner surface of the spoliation indicator band 4. The stops 9 of the container have oblique surfaces 11 which are inclined outwards, as can be seen in Figure 4, to allow the passage, by an action similar to that of a detent, the stops, corresponding inclination of the strip 4 spoliation indicator when the closure cap 1 is screwed on the container 7. The sides of the buttes 9 of the container and the stops 10 of the strip, opposite the oblique edges, project roughly radially with respect to the mouth of the container and the band. Therefore, when unscrewing the cap 1 of the container 7, the

25547? 1

  stops 9 and 10 block each other, preventing the band 4 from rotating relative to the container 7 and causing the rupture of the strip 4 and its separation from the skirt 3 of the closure cap by breaking the connecting tabs 12 which connect the strip 4 at the skirt 3. The slot or line of circular weakening is made during the molding of the closure cap to separate the strip of the skirt of the cap, and a plurality of spaced apart tabs removably connect the strip 4 to the skirt 3 In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 7, for example, eight legs

  12 are spaced approximately evenly around the

  of the skirt 3 of the cap and the band 4 and are placed outside the slot 13, on the surfaces

  outer skirt 3 and strip 4.

  As best seen in Figures 6 and 7, the tabs 12 extend downwardly from the lower outer portion of the skirt 3 and above the web 4, leaving a slot extending 360 around the web. closure cap 1 between the lower edge of the skirt 3 and the upper edge of the strip 4, parts of the slot 13 passing behind each

legs 12.

  Figure 2 illustrates the closure cap 1

  immediately before placing it on a filled container 7.

  The cap 1 is lowered by rotating it on the receptacle 7 until a closure is made between the receptacle and the sealing lips 14 situated at the lower face of the top 2 of the closure cap. The spoliation indicator band 4 descends above the ring 8 and stops 9 and 10 which slide over each other. The relative positions of the threads 5 and 6 of the plug 1 and the container, the band 4 and the stops 9 and 10 are such that the stops 10 of the band 4 and the stops 9 of the container 7 are spaced from each other in the full shutter position. In the embodiment shown, the presence of four stops 9 and four stops 10 has the effect of separating the band 4 when the plug 1 is rotated 90 or less and, therefore, an indication of spoliation is obtained before the cap 1 is turned beyond a small part of his

  total number of laps required for removal.

  To allow a relatively easy and high speed manufacturing of the closure caps, these plugs are made during a single molding operation. The closure cap assembly 1, comprising the top 2 and the skirt 3 as well as the spoliation indicator band 4, is formed in one molded piece. The molding is carried out on a core 16 intended to form the

cap 1 with its nets 5.

  A new and improved mold is used to simultaneously mold the web 4 having the spaced abutments 10 and the circular slot 13. The preferred mold for the plug of FIG. 1 is illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 where the molding core of the top and of the skirt

  is illustrated at 16, inside a mold cavity 17.

  The core comprises a sleeve 18 for forming the slot and the band. Vertical grooves 19 are provided in the cavity 17 of the mold to receive plastic from an orifice 23 via the portion 3 forming the skirt of the plug during the molding of the closure so as to form the spaced legs 12 which protrude outwardly from the lower part of the skirt 3 and the outer surface of the strip 4 <Figure 10). The sleeve 18 has an inner forming portion 20 of the strip surface including spaced-apart cuts 21 for forming spaced abutments 10 on the inner surface of the strip 4. A flared outer edge 22 of the sleeve 18 is arranged to move towards and against the parallel flared surface of the cavity 17. The flared edge 22 is sealingly applied against the surface of the flared cavity 17, at all points other than the grooves 19 provided for the tabs 12 and thus stops the plastic material and allows the formation of the slot

Circular 13.

  Prior molds of this general type have slot forming ridges which are brought into sliding contact with mold cavity surfaces oriented angularly or approximately perpendicularly. This preliminary movement carried out in high-speed molding machines tends to wear the edges of the molds and to blunt them after a relatively short time, so that the mold can no longer

  form complete and open slots.

  The flared edge 22 of the sleeve described above, when lowered into the cavity 17, comes into contact with a corresponding flared surface of the

  cavity, without sliding and the resulting friction.

  The contact is established at the instant when the flared edge 22 reaches its lowest position on the surface of the cavity 17, without movement of the chamfered edge 22 on or along the surface of the cavity 17. This virtually eliminates any wear edge and allows the mold to form the

  circular slots 13 for indefinite periods.

  FIG. 11 illustrates another embodiment of a closure cap according to the invention, having a different position of the tabs connecting the

  skirt of the cap to the spoliation indicator band.

  In this embodiment, the tabs 31 are located

  in the circular slot 32 forming the weakening line

  between the skirt 33 of the cap and the indicative band

34.

  The tabs 31 between the cap skirt and the spoliation indicator band 34 are made of plastic material which passes through a number of circumferentially spaced grooves 35 formed in the edge of the sleeve 36 of the core. This embodiment advantageously uses the aforementioned flaring of the skirt 33 of the plug at the slot 32 by allowing the slot forming surface 37 on the cavity and on the sleeve 36 of the core. to be oblique and made in the form of cone sections, as previously described. Such surfaces can be easily made to the dimensions and tolerances required for the surface 37 of the mold cavity and for the sleeve 36 of the core. When the mold produces the closure cap, these substantially parallel and conical surfaces are moved together to effect proper molding because of the precise dimensions resulting from the use of additional conical sections and their assembly within the mold, without slippage or contact The mold described above not only enables a high speed cap molding action, producing perfect closure plugs, but also allows the implementation of a simple design, without repair or replacement for a long period of time. long working hours. These advantages reduce the cost of closure plugs by minimizing mold maintenance and enabling a high speed molding operation that produces plugs of

perfectly molded closure.

  An improved tamper-proof closure cap has therefore been described which is made to withstand deterioration and which also has a pleasing and non-bulky shape or appearance. The spoliation indicator band intervenes only after a slight movement of the closure cap so as to clearly indicate a spoliation in the case where an attempt has been made to remove, even partially, the stopper

closure.

  In addition, there has been described a method and an advantageous device for the manufacture of the plug and in particular to form the groove or slot of the spoliation indicator strip, allowing the manufacture of high speed closure plugs with minimal mold wear. Such a mold brings substantial savings

  cost in the manufacture of the closure cap.

  It goes without saying that many modifications can be made to the cap described and shown

  without departing from the scope of the invention. -

Claims (9)

  1. One-piece molded closure   plastic part intended to seal hermetically   a container (7) with a threaded neck, said closure (1) having a top (2) and a downward skirt (3) whose inner surface has threads (5) for engaging the container, and a band Spoliation indicator (4) running downwardly from the lower edge of the skirt, the stopper being characterized in that at least the upper part of the band flares outwards, a plurality of tabs (12) extend between the flared band, indicative of spoliation, and the lower part of the skirt, a slot (13) extends around the periphery of the closure cap, between the lower edge of the skirt and the upper edge of the spoliation indicator band, and a plurality of stops (10) protrude towards   interior of the inner surface of the indicia band   trole of spoliation in order to engage with   complementary (9) presented by the container.   2. Closure cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the threads intended to engage   with the container include continuous nets.   3. Closure cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the stops located on the strip have surfaces inclined to their. front edges, in the screwing direction, so that they can easily pass over the stops of the container, and opposite edges oriented approximately radially so as to engage with the stops of the container when the cap is unscrewed, this which causes a tearing of the band.   4. Hermetic package comprising the assembly of a container (7) whose mouth has threads (6) intended to engage with a closure, and a plug (1) molded plastic closure, 1 1 sealingly closing the container and having a top (2) and a downward skirt (3) whose inner surface has threads (5) intended to engage with those of the container, a strip (4) indicative of spoliation extending downwardly and outwardly from the lower edge of the skirt, and a plurality of tabs (12) extending between the spoliation indicator band and the lower portion of the skirt, the package being characterized in that a circular slot (13) extends around the periphery of the closure cap, between the lower edge of the skirt and the upper edge of the spoliation indicator band, the tabs being positioned to pass over this slot, the inner surface the spoli indicator band comprising a plurality of buttresses (10) projecting inwards and a ring (8) located on the container below the threads of the latter, having stops (9) for engaging with the stops of closing at the moment o   the closure cap is removed.   5. Packaging according to claim 4, characterized in that the 6lets of the container and the closure are continuous nets.   6. Packaging according to claim 4, characterized in that the abutments of the strip have surfaces inclined on their front edges, in the screwing direction, so as to pass easily on the abutments of the container, and opposite edges oriented to radially so as to engage with the container stops when unscrewing so that the band is torn off.   7. Packaging according to claim 4,   characterized in that the abutments of the container ring have surfaces inclined at their front edges to allow passage of the stops of the band during screwing of the closure, and have opposite surfaces oriented radially to engage with the stops of the closure when the latter is unscrewed, so that the band of the closure is torn off. - -8. Device for molding a closure plug (1) comprising a top (2) and a downward skirt (3) to which a spoliation indicator band (4) is connected in a substantially circular line of weakening, the device, which has a closure forming cavity (17) and a corresponding molding plunger (16), characterized in that the recess has a flared side wall for forming flared portions of the closure plug, and an element for grooves carried by the plunger having a flared edge (22) to be placed in opposition to the side wall of the flared cavity to cooperate with it to form said line of weakness of the closure.   9. Molding device according to the claim   8, characterized in that the slotted member carried by the plunger has a flared surface parallel to the surface of the sidewall of the cavity   to form an open slot in the closure.   10. Molding device according to the claim   8, characterized in that it further comprises a sleeve (18) mounted on the molding plunger, the element   forming slots being disposed on the sleeve.