GB1592793A - Container and closure assembly - Google Patents

Description

(54) A CONTAINER AND CLOSURE ASSEMBLY (71) We, JOHNSEN & JORGENSEN LIMITED, a British Company of Grinstead Road, London S.E.8., do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a container and closure assembly.

The container and closure assembly of the present invention is particularly designed for improved sterilisation. At present sterilisation of a container containing, for example, noninjectable water which is used for washing surgeon hands and irrigating wounds, takes place in an autoclave. The difficulty encountered with existing containers and closures is maintaining the sterilisation of the area beneath the closure, for example, the threads of a screw-thread arrangement.

According to the present invention we provide a container and closure assembly comprising a container including a neck defining an opening for the container, and a closure including a skirt portion and arranged to close the opening in the container, the container and closure assembly in position including two sealing means therebetween, one sealing means being provided on the closure so as to surround the opening in the container when the closure is in operative position and the other being provided around the neck of the container so that it is located adjacent the free end of the skirt portion when the closure is in operative position, the arrangement being such that the area of the neck of the container which is covered by the skirt of the closure is sealed from the surrounding atmosphere.

Preferably the closure is a screw-thread closure and the sealing means are preferably synthetic rubber or natural rubber. The seal surrounding the opening in the container may be positioned on the underneath of the top of the closure and the seal adjacent the free end of the skirt may be located in an annular groove around the neck of the container.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accom panying drawings which illustrate one embodi ment of the invention and in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the con tainer and closure assembly, the closure being seotioned for clarity, and Figure 2 is a side elevation of the con tainer alone.

In the drawings a container 1 has a neck 2 defining an opening 3. The neck 2 has a screw-thread 4 for interengagement with a corresponding screw-thread provided on a closure 5 which is arranged to close the opening 3.

The closure 5 has a top 6 with a depend ing skirt 7 as clearly seen from figure 1.

Within the closure 5 and integral with the underneath of the top 6 is an annular flange 8 which forms a seating for a first annular seal 9 of synthetic rubber material. A second annular seal 10 is disposed within a groove 11 about the neck of the container 1.

When the closure 5 is screwed into position on the neck of the container 1 as shown in figure 1 the seal 9 engages about the mouth of the opening 3 in the container and the seal 10 engages the closure 5 adjacent the free end of the skirt 7. In this way the threads are sealed or protected from the surrounding atmosphere: the double seal enclosing the sterile thread.

The container and the closure are preferably of plastics material e.g. polypropylene thongh it is understood that the container may be glass if desired. The seals are preferably synthetic rubber seals with a silicon coating for lubrication.

Although not shown in the drawings the closure may be a tamperproof closure for example having a removable tear band. Similarly although the invention has been particularly described with reference to a screwthread closure any form of suitable closure may be used.

We have therefore provided a container and closure assembly for use with sterilised contents, the container and closure including a double seal therebetween one about the mouth of the container and one adjacent the free end of a skirt on the closure.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A container and closure assembly comprising a container including a neck defining an opening for the container, and a closure including a skirt portion and arranged to close the opening in the container, the container and closure assembly when in position including two sealing means therebetween, one sealing means being provided on the closure so as to surround the opening in the container when the closure is in operative position and the other being provided around the neck of the container so that it is located adjacent the free end of the skirt portion when the closure is in operative position, the arrangement being such that the area of the neck of the container which is covered by the skirt portion of the closure is sealed from the surrounding atmosphere.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the neck of the container has an external screw-thread and the skirt portion of the closure has an internal screw-thread.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the sealing means are made of synthetic rubber or natural rubber.

4. An assembly according to any of the preceding claim wherein the seal surrounding the opening in the container is positioned on the underneath of the top of the closure, a seating for the seal being provided by a depending flange on the closure.

5. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims wherein the seal adjacent to the free end of the skirt portion of the closure is located in an annular groove around the neck of the container.

6. A container and closure assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. double seal therebetween one about the mouth of the container and one adjacent the free end of a skirt on the closure. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A container and closure assembly comprising a container including a neck defining an opening for the container, and a closure including a skirt portion and arranged to close the opening in the container, the container and closure assembly when in position including two sealing means therebetween, one sealing means being provided on the closure so as to surround the opening in the container when the closure is in operative position and the other being provided around the neck of the container so that it is located adjacent the free end of the skirt portion when the closure is in operative position, the arrangement being such that the area of the neck of the container which is covered by the skirt portion of the closure is sealed from the surrounding atmosphere.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the neck of the container has an external screw-thread and the skirt portion of the closure has an internal screw-thread.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the sealing means are made of synthetic rubber or natural rubber.

4. An assembly according to any of the preceding claim wherein the seal surrounding the opening in the container is positioned on the underneath of the top of the closure, a seating for the seal being provided by a depending flange on the closure.

5. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims wherein the seal adjacent to the free end of the skirt portion of the closure is located in an annular groove around the neck of the container.

6. A container and closure assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.