GB2040888A

GB2040888A - Bottle closure

Info

Publication number: GB2040888A
Application number: GB7902657A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1979-01-25
Filing date: 1979-01-25
Publication date: 1980-09-03
Also published as: GB2040888B

Abstract

A bottle closure for one time use, which functions as a guarantee seal comprises a sealing gasket or stopper (17) received in an elastically yielding claw ring (10) which has claws (13) held engaged with a bottle rim by a closing cap (2) provided with a rip-top or flip-top (7,9) Fig. 2 (not shown), which is ripped away for opening the bottle and breaking the seal. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Bottle closing device The invention relates to a bottle closing device and has more particular reference to disposable devices for use with, for example, bottles for holding medicines or the like.

Bottle closure devices are known in many different modifications including so-called crown caps, twist-off caps and many otherversions. However, prior art bottle closure devices do not combine the features which are desirable for special purposes such as the closing of medicine containing bottles.

Such closing devices must guarantee that the content of a bottle is the original filling and not some substitute or refill.

In view of the above it is the aim of the invention to achieve the following objects singly or in combination: to construct a disposable bottle closing device which may, on the one hand, be easily opened, and which at the same time guarantees the original content of the bottle; to construct a closing device for a bottle intended for heat-sensitive contents which may be subjected to a freeze-drying process without affecting the effectiveness of the closing device; to construct a bottle closing device capable of accepting various types of sealing members, for example, a rubber stopper or the like; and to construct a bottle closing device suitable for mass production at minimum expense.

According to the invention there is provided a closure device for closing the mouth of a bottle, comprising cap means, claw ring means including claw means adapted to reach under said bottle mouth rim in the bottle closing position when said cap means enclose said claw ring means whereby the cap means press the claw means substantially radially inwardly, said closing device further comprising locking means operatively interposed between said claw ring means and said cap means for preventing lifting off the cap means from the claw ring means when the latter are in the bottle closing position, and flip top means forming part of said cap means from said claw ring moans.

Thus, the invention contemplates a device including a claw ring made of an elastic material reaches under a bottle rim and that a cap or bonnet type cover is placed on said claw ring to press the claw or claws of the claw ring inwardly against the bottle rim. Locking means are operatively interposed between the cap or cover and the claw ring to prevent lifting off the cover after the bottle has been closed or sealed. The cap or cover is provided with a socalled flip-top or rip-top including points or lines of reduced strength for removing the cover from the claw ring when the bottle is to be opened.

It is especially simple to secure such a bottle closing device to the bottle mouth. In addition, the device may be produced at relatively low costs by mass production methods. Since the closing device cannot be removed without destroying it, it is especially suitable for guaranteeing the original content of a bottle, such as a medicine bottle. The closing device is also suitable for bottles that must be sub jetted to a freeze-drying process. Forthis process a sealing device such as a rubber stopper is inserted into the claw ring and the dimensions of the claw ring and of the cover or cap as well as of the bottle rim are selected so that the sealing device such as a flange of the rubber stopper is compressed when the device is in the bottle closing position.

In orderthatthe invention may be clearly understood, it will be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a side view partially in section, of a cover constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cover of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the claw ring constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig.

Fig. 4 illustrates a sealing element, such as a rubber stopper, which may be used in accordance with the invention; Fig. 5 illustrates a bottle, for example, a glass or plastic bottle, especially suitable for medicines; and Fig. 6 is a sectional view through the present bottle closing device in its bottle closing position.

Referring now to the drawings, a bottle closing device constructed in accordance with the invention comprises a bonnet type cover 2 preferably made of a single piece of a spring elastic synthetic material such as, for example, polyamide or polyvinylchloride.

The cover has a facing surface including a radially inwardly extending rim 3 and a flip-top handle 7 separated by a gap 6 except in the area of a bridging tongue 9. The cover further comprises a substantially cylindrical jacket 4 merging at its upper end into the rim 3 and provided at the lower end with a ring bead 5 reaching substantially radially inwardly thereby reducing the radially open clearance at the lower end of the cap 2 by about 0.4 to 0.6mm. The ends of the substantially ring-shaped slot 6 are spaced from each other by the width of the tongue 9 which is connected to the rim 3 and to the cylindrical jacket 4 through lines 8 of reduced strength. Such lines could, for example, be grooves which do not completely penetrate through the material of the cover2 or lines of perforations.Thus, the lift-off handle 7 may be lifted and pulled off along the lines 8 of reduced strength whereby both the handle 7 and the tongue 9 may be ripped off for opening the cover 2.

Fig. 3 shows a claw ring 10, such ring also being made of a synthetic material having resilient characteristics, the preferred material of choice being, for example, a polyamide.

The claw ring 10 0 comprises several claw members 11 extending from the upper edge 12. Fig. 3 illustrates, for example, an embodiment with four claw members arranged at 90" intervals circumferentially of the edge 12, three of such members being visible in Fig. 3. However, the number of claw members 11 could be larger or smallerthan four such members.

The claw members 11 extend at an angle somewhat radially outwardly and downwardly. Each claw member 11 is provided at its lower end with a claw proper 13 having a radially inwardly pointed slanted surface 14 and an outer edge 15 which is relatively pointed for engaging behind the lower rim or bead 5 of the cover 2. The outer diameter of the upper edge 12 of the claw ring 10 is somewhat smaller than the clearance diameter of the cover 2 in the area of the inwardly pointed bead 5. The lower end of the claw ring 10 has a diameter as defined by the outwardly pointing edges 15 which is larger than the inner diameter of the cover 2 in the un-assembled condition ofthe claw ring 10 as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 4 shows a side view of a rubber stopper which is especially used for closing bottles 18 containing medicines which require a freeze-drying operation.

The rubber stopper 17 includes a flange member 19 extending radially out of the substantially cylindrical body 23 of the stopper 17 at the upper end thereof.

The body 23 of the stopper 17 is provided with a centrally extending slot 20 opening downwardly.

The slot 20 extends upwardly for about two-thirds of the length of the stopper body 23 from the lower end the root The downwardly facing surface of the flange 19 is intended to rest on the upper edge 28 of the bottle mouth of the bottle 18, as best seen in Figs. 5 and 6.

The top surface of the flange 19 comes to rest against the inner shoulder 21 on the inner surface of the claw top 12. The cylindrical stopper body 23 is so dimensioned as snugly to fit into the opening 22 in the bottle neck. Referring further to Fig. 5, the bottle neck includes a radially outwardly extending rim 25 and throat 26 having a radially reduced outer diameter as compared to the outer diameter of the rim 25.

The throat 26 and the rim 25 are connected to each other by a ring-shaped slanted shoulder or surface 27 which extends radially outwardly and upwardly at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the bottle. Such bottles are used for filling with special pharmaceutical products. The inclination of the ring-shaped surface 27 corresponds, at least substantially, to the inclination of the slanting surface 14 of the claws 13 in the claw ring 10.

Referring further to Figs. and 6, the closing of a bottle 18 is accomplished in the following manner.

Initially the bottle is filled with the desired content to about the neckline 26'. Thereafter, the rubber stopper 17 is inserted into the bottle opening or mouth 22 to such an extent that the upper end of the slot 20 extending across the direction of insertion, extends above the upper edge 28 of the glass bottle. Thus, the slot still provides a communication between the surrounding atmosphere and the inner volume of the bottle. Thus, the purpose of the slot 20 in the stopper 17 is to permit of the escape of water or other volatile component through the partially still open slot 20 during the subsequent freeze-drying process under the influence of reduced pressure and reduced temperatures. The stopper 17 is inserted in the claw ring 10 prior to insertion of the stopper into the opening 22.The inner dimensions of the claw ring 10 and of the stopper, especially of the stopper flange 19 are such that the stopper is held by a clamping action in the claw ring. Upon completion of the freeze-drying operation, a downwardly directed pressure is exerted on the top surface of the claw ring 10, whereby the stopper 17 moves inwardly into the bottle opening 22 to such an extent that the flange 19 rests on the upper edge 28 of the bottle 18.

Simultaneously, the claw members 11 are somewhat spread radially outwardly so that the claw members will slide over the rim 25 of the glass bottle 18. The claw ring 10 is so dimensioned that the surfaces 14 of the claws 13 will come to rest against the slanted surface 27 of the bottle 18. Thereafter, the cover 2 is placed from above onto the claw ring 10, whereby the claw members 11 are pressed radially inwardly because the inner diameter of the cover jacket 4 is smaller than the lower diameter of the claw members 11 when they are still under their radially outwardly directed biasing force. Thus, by pressing the cover 2 onto the claw members 11 the claws proper 13 are pressed against the glass bottle 18 and slanted surfaces 14 come to rest against the slanted surface 27 of the bottle 18.

At the end of the downward pushing of the cover 2 the cover rim 5 reaches a position that the radially outer edges 15 of the claws 13 snap into position behind and just above the rim 5 whereby any unintended loosening or removal of the cover 2 is prevented after a proper closing of the bottle. The cover 2 is provided with an inner dimension or height "h" (Fig. 1) of such a length that in the closing position the cover 2 is able to just reach with its rim 5 underneath and against the edges 15 of the claws 13.

Further, the dimension "h" is such that in the closed position the flange 19 of the rubber stopper 17 is maintained under a certain compression and thus in a bottle sealing condition underthe pressure of the inwardly directed claws 13 of the claw ring 10.

In order to open the present closing device, the flip-top handle 7 is lifted and torn out of the cover along the lines 8 of reduced strength, whereby handle 7 and the tongue 9 are completely separated from the cover 2. Due to the spring elastic characteristic inherent in the cover 2 it will spread slightly radially outwardly after removal of the tongue 9, whereby the cover 2 may be easily removed from the claw ring 10 which may then also be removed along with the rubber stopper 17. The claw members 11, due to their spring elastic characteristics, also spread radially outwardly away from the slanted surface 27. Thus, the claw ring 10 may also be easily removed.

Instead of using a rubber stopper 17 as shown in Fig. 4, a simple sealing ring having the shape of the flange 19 may be inserted against the shoulder 21 of the claw ring 10 as shown in Fig. 3. A simple sealing ring of cork, rubber, or synthetic material may thus be used instead of the rubber stopper 17 where the content of a bottle is not intended to be subjected to a freeze-drying operation.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be appreciated, that it is intended, to cover all mod ifications and equivalents within the scope of the appended claims.

CLAIMS 1. Aclosure device for closing the mouth of a bottle, which mouth is surrounded by a radially outwardly extending bottle mouth rim, comprising cap means, claw ring means including claw means adapted to reach under said bottle mouth rim in the bottle closing position when said cap means enclose said claw ring means whereby the cap means press the claw means substantially radially inwardly, said closing device further comprising locking means operatively interposed between said claw ring means and said cap means for preventing lifting off the cap means from the claw ring means when the latter are in the bottle closing position, and flip-top means forming part of said cap means from said claw ring means.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cap means comprise a top surface including top rim means and lateral wall means extending substantially perpendicularly to said top rim means, said flip-top means including handle means normally extending substantially in the plane defined by said top surface and top rim means, gap means substantially separating said handle means from said top rim means, tongue means connecting said handle means to said top rim means across said gap means and to said lateral wall means, and reduced strength means operatively interposed between said tongue means and said top rim means and between said tongue means and said top rim means and between said tongue means and said lateral wall means for pulling said flip-top means out of said cap means to open a bottle.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, further comprising sealing means in said claw ring means.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said sealing means comprise stopper means including a stopper body and radially extending flange means, said stopper body including axially extending recess means.

5. The device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said locking means comprise a bottom rim means forming part of said cap means and facing substantially radially inwardly, and radially outwardly facing edges forming part of said claw means for engaging said bottom rim means when the device is in the bottle closing position.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said claw means are normally biased radially outwardly for snapping said edges into engagement with said bottom rim means, and wherein said bottom rim means reach under said claw means in the bottle closing position.

7. The device as claimed in claim 2 or in any one of claims 3 to 6 when dependent on claim 2, wherein said handle means normally cover a central portion of said top surface of said cap means, said reduced strength means extending on both sides of said tongue means through said top rim means and through said lateral wall means.

8. The device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said cap means and said claw ring means are made of a spring elastic synthetic material.

9. The device as claimed in claim 3 or in any one of claims 4 to 8, when dependent on claim 3, further comprising sealing means in said claw ring means, said cap means, said claw ring means, said bottle mouth rim and said sealing means being so dimensioned relative to each other that said sealing means are compressed when a bottle is closed.

10. A bottle and closure device for said bottle, comprising bottle neck means including a bottle mouth and a mouth rim surrounding said bottle mouth radially outwardly thereof, said mouth rim including a ring surface slanting radially outwardly and upwardly as viewed from the central longitudinal axis of said bottle, whereby said mouth rim merges into said bottle neck means with said ring surface, ring claw means including elastically yielding claws for engaging said slanting ring surface of said bottle mouth rim, and cap means fitting on said ring claw means for keeping said claws engaged with said ring surface, said cap means comprising flip-top means for removing said cap means and said ring claw means from said bottle mouth.

11. A bottle closure device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the various figures of the accompanying drawings.

12. The combination of a bottle and a bottle closure device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 and 10.

Application No.7902657. New claims or amendments to claims filed on 16.8.79. Superseded claims 1-12.

Claims

1. A closure device for closing the mouth of a bottle, which mouth is surrounded by a radially outwardly extending bottle mouth rim, comprising cap means, claw ring means including claw means adapted to reach under said bottle mouth rim in the bottle closing position when said cap means enclose said claw ring means whereby the cap means press the claw means substantially radially inwardly, said closing device also comprising locking means operatively interposed between said claw ring means and said cap means for preventing lifting off the cap means from the claw ring means when the latter are in the bottle closing position, and flip-top means forming part of said cap means for removing said cap means from said claw ring means, and further comprising sealing means in said claw ring means, wherein said sealing means comprise stopper means including a stopper body and radially extending flange means, said stopper body including recess means extending in the direction of insertion.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cap means comprise a top surface including top rim means and lateral wall means extending substantially perpendicularly to said top rim means, said flip-top means including handle means normally extending substantially in the plane defined by said top surface and top rim means, gap means substantially separating said handle means from said top rim means, tongue means connecting said handle means to said top rim means across said gap means and to said lateral wall means, and reduced strength means operatively interposed between said tongue means and said top rim means and between said tongue means and said lateral wall means for pulling said flip-top means out of said cap means to open a bottle.

3. The device as clamed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said locking means comprise a bottom rim means forming part of said cap means and facing substantially radially inwardly, and radially outwardly facing edges forming part of said claw means for engaging said bottom rim means when the device is in the bottle closing position.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said claw means are normally biased radially outwardly for snapping said edges into engagement with said bottom rim means, and wherein said bottom rim means reach under said claw means in the bottle closing position.

5. The device as claimed in claim 2 or in claim 3 or claim 4 when dependent on claim 2, wherein said handle means normally cover a central portion of said top surface of said cap means, said reduced strength means extending on both sides of said tongue means through said top rim means and through said lateral wall means.

6. The device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said cap means and said claw ring means are made of a spring elastic synthetic material.

7. The device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said cap means, said claw ring means, said bottle mouth rim and said sealing means being so dimensioned relative to each other that said sealing means is compressed when a bottle is closed.

8. A bottle and closure device for said bottle, comprising bottle neck means including a bottle mouth and a mouth rim surrounding said bottle mouth radially outwardly thereof, said mouth rim including a ring surface slanting radially outwardly and upwardly as viewed from the central longitudinal axis of said bottle, whereby said mouth rim merges into said bottle neck means with said ring surface, ring claw means including elastically yielding claws for engaging said slanting ring surface of said bottle mouth rim, and cap means fitting on said ring claw means for keeping said claws engaged with said ring surface, said cap means comprising flip-top means for removing said cap means and said ring claw means from said bottle mouth, and further comprising sealing means in said claw means, wherein said sealing means comprise stopper means including a stopper body and radially extending flange means, said stopper body including recess means extending in the direction of insertion.

9. A bottle closure device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the various figures of the accompanying drawings.

10. The combination of a bottle and a bottle closure device as claimed in any one of claim 1 to 7 and 9.