GB1589321A

GB1589321A - Container closure assembly

Info

Publication number: GB1589321A
Application number: GB932/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Ug Closures & Plastics Ltd
Current assignee: Ug Closures & Plastics Ltd
Priority date: 1978-03-31
Filing date: 1978-03-31
Publication date: 1981-05-13
Also published as: IT1106591B; DE2840315C2; AU526434B2; ES245912U; ES245912Y; IT7851593A0; NL7809558A; AU3970778A; DK391578A; DE2840315A1; LU80234A1; BE870480A

Description

(54) CONTAINER CLOSURE ASSEMBLY (71) We U.G. CLOSURES & PLASTICS LIMITED, A British Company of Kingston Road, Staines, Middlesex, England, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to container-closure assemblies, and especially to such assemblies which incorporate a valve element, for example a non-refillable fitment, which is held captive on the container.

Non-refillable fitments are known, their purposes being to allow the free flow of fluid from the container but to prevent the re-filling or "topping-up" thereof. They find considerable use in the spirit trade, and ensure that containers filled with spirits, and thereafter provided with a non-refillable fitment, cannot be tampered with to the extent that some of the spirit is removed from the container and replaced with a different, for example a diluting, liquid. A well-known non-refillable fitment comprises a simple one-way ball valve, suitably made from a plastics material such as polystyrene, having an inlet situated within the neck of the container, a screw-threaded outlet and an annular flange between the inlet and outlet, which rests upon a sealing washer seated on the rim portion of the container mouth.

The ball itself is typically of glass, stainless steel or plastics material. The fitment is held captive on the container by means of an external metal cowl, an upper annular surface of which firmly presses the flange of the fitment against the washer and that in turn against the rim of the container when a skirt portion of the cowl is conformed to an annular recess or bead formed on the container neck below the rim portion.

The closure is completed by a threaded cap, suitably of a plastics material, which is screwed on to the screw-threaded outlet portion of the valve fitment.

It has recently become popular to provide wine and spirit containers with caps of the "tamperproof" or "pilferproof" variety.

Such caps are made from thin-gauge metal such as aluminium, and have a cylindrical skirt an upper portion of which is screw-threadedly attached to a screw-thread on the container neck, and a lower edge of which is rolled into an annular recess or beneath an annular bead formed on the container neck.below the screw thread. Between the upper and lower portions of the skirt is a circumferential line of weakening, which may for example take the form of a tear-strip, or, more normally. A series of spaced bridges and slots, whereby the upper skirt portion may, in order to open the container, be separated from the lower skirt portion, often referred to as a security ring.

To-date, it has not been possible satisfactorily to provide a container with both a non-refillable fitment and a metal pilerproof cap. Such could possibly be achieved by retaining the valve fitment within the neck of the container by means of the conventional cowl, and providing a modified form of metal closure which would engage the threaded part of the valve fitment and seat over the metal cowl. It is clear, however, that such a cap would involve at least three separate components and would consequently present difficulties in application to a container.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a container-closure assembly wherein the closure is of the pilferproofvariety, and the container is provided with a valve fitment, e.g. a non-refillable fitment.

According to the present invention a container-closure assembly comprises (i) a container with a neck portion having an annular bead formed exteriorly thereof and a sealing surface; (ii) an annular sealing member having a first surface in sealing contact with the said sealing surface; (iii) a valve member having a threaded portion, a surface in sealing contact with a second surface of the annular sealing member and an annular recess between the threaded portion and the said surface; and (iv) an outer metal cap an upper skirt portion of which is threadedly attached to the threaded portion of the valve member and a lower skirt portion of which, attached to the upper skirt portion by frangible bridges, is engaged with the annular recess of the valve member and under the annular bead of the container neck portion.

In order that the upper portion of the metal cap may be readily removed from the lower portion thereof it is desirable that when the cap is placed on the container there should be no, or only a limited amount of, rotation of the valve member relative to the container, so that the metal cap can rotate relatively to the valve member and the frangible bridges will be placed in tension and subsequently broken as a result of the upper skirt portion being lifted by helicoidal action of the threaded upper portion during unscrewing. Preferably therefore the sealing surface of the neck portion or a surface radially outwardly therefrom and the said surface of the valve member are configured such that no or only limited relative rotational movement is possible between the valve member and the neck portion.

In one embodiment the surfaces are configured so as to bite into the annular sealing member. In another embodiment the surfaces are each formed with a series of spaced lugs and the sealing member is deformed between the surfaces into substantially sinusoidal form.

The annular sealing member is suitably a sealing washer possessing some degree of resilience, especially surface resilience, in order that the contacting surfaces of the valve member and the container neck may "bite" into it or deform it when the closure is applied with sufficient downward pressure to make the valve fitment a tight fit in the container neck.

This ensures that any attempt to rotate the valve fitment relatively to the container neck when unscrewing the metal closure therefrom is substantially resisted.

Any configuration of the sealing membercontacting surfaces of the container neck and valve member which will produce this effect is suitable, and a particularly suitable configuration comprises a series of teeth formed on each sealing member-contacting surface. These may be randomly spaced or equispaced, may be disposed in series of three or more teeth, or may take the form of a continuous knurled portion.

The sealing member is typically made of a silicone material.

The valve fitment suitably comprises an inlet portion which enters the mouth of the container, and a discharge or outlet portion of increased cross-section, integrally formed with the inlet portion, and having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the container neck to which the valve member if fitted.

The discharge or outlet portion of the valve member is screw-threaded, and an annular recess is provided below the screw-threaded portion. The valve member is suitably moulded from a transparent plastics material such as polystyrene.

Embodiments of the invention will not be described with reference to the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification, in which: Figure 1 is a part-sectional elevation of a container-closure assembly, only one half of the assembly being shown; and Figure 2 is a side elevation of the assembly and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 3 is a part-sectional elevation of a different container-closure assembly; and Figure 4 is a plan view of the neck portion of the container of Figure 3.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the assembly comprises a glass bottle 1 having a cylindrical neck portion 2. Seated within the neck portion is the inlet tube 3 of a non-refillable fitment 4, the valve element of which is not shown. This may be any suitable form, for example it may be of the form shown in U.K. Patent Specification 835507, and the precise construction of the valve element is not part of the present invention. At the upper end of inlet tube 3 is an annular flange 5 attached around its periphery to a cylindrical wall 6 forming part of the upper portion 7 of the fitment. The upper end of the fitment is provided with a screw-thread 8, beneath which is a cylindrical portion 9, separated from the wall 6 by an annular recess 10.

The lower face of wall 6 is provided with a series of radiallyextending teeth 11. The upper surface 12 of the mouth rim of the bottle 1 is provided with similar teeth 13.

Compressed between the flange 5 and rim 12 is an annular sealing washer 14, for example of a silicone material.

A pilferproof metal cap 15 encloses the entire container neck/non-refillable fitment assembly. The cap 15 is provided as a completely unthreaded cylindrical shell, friction fitted with a resilient sealing wad, the shell containing a line of weakening 16 comprising alternate slots and bridges (in well known fashion).

The container-closure assembly is constructed by placing the valve fitment and sealing washer 14 onto the filled container 1.

The plain shell of cap 15 is then loosely mounted over the assembly, and pressure is applied to the top of the shell to compress the sealing wad onto the top of the fitment 4 and to compress the sealing washer 14 between the flange 5 and the rim 12. The application of this pressure causes the teeth 11 and 13 to "bite" into the respective surfaces of washer 14, and by this means relative rotation between the valve fitment and the container is substantially prevented. In an alternative method of application, the non-refillable fitment and cap shell are pre-assembled (the cap shell may be provided with small indentations to retain the fitment) and applied to the container in one operation, followed by the application of top pressure.

Whilst top pressure is still being applied, rollers on an appropriate thread-rolling or spinning machine conform the upper part of the skirt of shell 15 into conformity with the screw thread 8, roll the portion of the skirt designated 16 into the recess 10, and tuck the lowermost edge 17 of the skirt beneath the annular bead 18 formed exteriorly of the neck of the container 1.

The bottle 1 is opened in conventional manner by unscrewing the cap 15 from the valve fitment 4. The fitment 4 will not rotate with the cap 15 upon unscrewing, since it is prevented from rotation relative to container 1 by means of the teeth 11 and 13 and the sealing washer 14. Unscrewing of the cap 15 will fracture the bridges along the bridge/slot line 16, and the upper portion of the cap, which may be used as a reclosure, may be removed.

The fitment 4 will remain tightly held within the bottle by virtue of the lower ring of the cap skirt between the portions 16 and 17.

It will be appreciated that the teeth 11 and 13 may be replaced with continuous knurling, orindividual, randomly or equi-spaced teeth, or simply pegs the shape of which enables them to "bite" into the surface of the sealing washer 14.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the components of the assembly shown therein are basically similar to those of the assembly of Figures 1 and 2, and similar reference numerals therefore depict similar parts. In the embodiment of Figures 3 and 4, however, an annular surface 110 outwardly of the primary sealing surface 112 of the bottle 111 is provided with a series of equi-spaced projections 113 which are conical in form although having a rounded top.

There are suitably eight such projections 113 for a bottle mouth of outside diameter 30mms.

The lower face of flange 5 of non-refillable fitment 4 is provided with a series of equispaced downwardly extending projections 114 of similar configuration of projections 113. An annular sealing washer 14 is compressed between the flange 5 and the mouth of bottle 111 and its outer edge assumes a sinusoidal form, as seen in Figure 3.

The assembly of Figure 3 is constructed in the same way as that of Figure 1 and 2, the application of top pressure to the cap shell compressing and deforming washer 6.

When the top of the cap 15 is turned to unscrew it, the cap and the fitment 4 rotate together a small distance relatively to the bottle 111, that is until the projections 114 come up against the projections 113 through the washer 6. Further relative rotation between fitment 4 and bottle 111 is prevented, and it thereby becomes possible to rotate the cap 15 relative to the fitment 4 (and bottle 111) to fracture the bridges along the bridge/slot line 16 and thereby remove the top of the cap.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A container-closure assembly comprising (i) a container with a neck portion having an annular bead formed exteriorly thereof and a sealing surface; (ii) an annular sealing member having a first surface in contact with the said sealing surface; (iii) a valve member having a threaded portion, a surface in sealing contact with a second surface of the annular sealing member and an annular recess between the threaded portion and the said surface; and (iv) an outer metal cap an upper skirt portion of which is threadedly attached to the threaded portion of the valve member and a lower skirt portion of which, attached to the upper skirt portion by frangible bridges is engaged with the annular recess of the valve member and under the annular bead of the container neck portion.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sealing surface of the neck portion or a surface radially outwardly therefrom and the said surface of the valve member are configured such that no or only limited rotational movement is possible between the valve member and the neck portion.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein said surfaces are configured so as to bite into the annular sealing member.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein the said surfaces are each formed with a series of teeth.

5. An assembly as claimed in claim 2 where in said surfaces are each formed with a series of spaced lugs and sealing member is deformed between said surfaces into substantially sinusoidal form.

6. An assembly as claimed in claiml, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification.

7. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. lowermost edge 17 of the skirt beneath the annular bead 18 formed exteriorly of the neck of the container 1. The bottle 1 is opened in conventional manner by unscrewing the cap 15 from the valve fitment 4. The fitment 4 will not rotate with the cap 15 upon unscrewing, since it is prevented from rotation relative to container 1 by means of the teeth 11 and 13 and the sealing washer 14. Unscrewing of the cap 15 will fracture the bridges along the bridge/slot line 16, and the upper portion of the cap, which may be used as a reclosure, may be removed. The fitment 4 will remain tightly held within the bottle by virtue of the lower ring of the cap skirt between the portions 16 and 17. It will be appreciated that the teeth 11 and 13 may be replaced with continuous knurling, orindividual, randomly or equi-spaced teeth, or simply pegs the shape of which enables them to "bite" into the surface of the sealing washer 14. Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the components of the assembly shown therein are basically similar to those of the assembly of Figures 1 and 2, and similar reference numerals therefore depict similar parts. In the embodiment of Figures 3 and 4, however, an annular surface 110 outwardly of the primary sealing surface 112 of the bottle 111 is provided with a series of equi-spaced projections 113 which are conical in form although having a rounded top. There are suitably eight such projections 113 for a bottle mouth of outside diameter 30mms. The lower face of flange 5 of non-refillable fitment 4 is provided with a series of equispaced downwardly extending projections 114 of similar configuration of projections 113. An annular sealing washer 14 is compressed between the flange 5 and the mouth of bottle 111 and its outer edge assumes a sinusoidal form, as seen in Figure 3. The assembly of Figure 3 is constructed in the same way as that of Figure 1 and 2, the application of top pressure to the cap shell compressing and deforming washer 6. When the top of the cap 15 is turned to unscrew it, the cap and the fitment 4 rotate together a small distance relatively to the bottle 111, that is until the projections 114 come up against the projections 113 through the washer 6. Further relative rotation between fitment 4 and bottle 111 is prevented, and it thereby becomes possible to rotate the cap 15 relative to the fitment 4 (and bottle 111) to fracture the bridges along the bridge/slot line 16 and thereby remove the top of the cap. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A container-closure assembly comprising (i) a container with a neck portion having an annular bead formed exteriorly thereof and a sealing surface; (ii) an annular sealing member having a first surface in contact with the said sealing surface; (iii) a valve member having a threaded portion, a surface in sealing contact with a second surface of the annular sealing member and an annular recess between the threaded portion and the said surface; and (iv) an outer metal cap an upper skirt portion of which is threadedly attached to the threaded portion of the valve member and a lower skirt portion of which, attached to the upper skirt portion by frangible bridges is engaged with the annular recess of the valve member and under the annular bead of the container neck portion.