GB2097768A

GB2097768A - Bottle and like container closures

Info

Publication number: GB2097768A
Application number: GB8110667A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: SMITHS CONTAINERS Ltd
Current assignee: SMITHS CONTAINERS Ltd
Priority date: 1981-04-06
Filing date: 1981-04-06
Publication date: 1982-11-10

Abstract

A snap-on cap form of tear-off closure for containers such as bottles, comprises a one-piece plastics moulding with at least one projecting formation 14 on the inner side of its skirt portion 12 to facilitate a snap-fit co-operation with a corresponding formation on the container or bottle. The skirt also has a projecting extension 18 providing a pull tag such that, upon manually pulling this tag for removing the cap, the cap tears along two lines of weakness 22, 26 and 24, 28 which extend from its rim and up and across the top of the cap. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Bottle and like container closures This invention relates to a snap-on cap form of closure for containers such as bottles, and in particular of pilfer-proof type (i.e. requiring the breaking of a tamper-proof portion of the cap before it can be removed for the first time).

A crimped-on form of closure cap is known, which is formed of metal and provided with a pull-tag such that, upon manually pulling this tag for removing the cap, the cap tears along two lines of weakness extending from its rim and up and across the top of the cap.

In accordance with this invention, there is provided a snap-on cap form of closure for containers such as bottles, which cap com- prises a on-piece plastics moulding with at least one projecting formation on the inner side of its skirt portion to facilitate a snap-fit co-operation with a corresponding formation on the container or bottle, the skirt also having a projecting extension providing a pull-tag such that, upon manually pulling this tag for removing the cap, the cap tears along two lines of weakness extending from its rim and up and across the top of the cap.

In an embodiment to be described herein, the two lines of weakness extend up the skirt and then circumferentially around the top of the cap adjacent its periphery, to terminate spaced-apart from each other at a region diametrically opposite the position of the pulltag.

Said embodiment of this invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a bottom view of a plastics snap-on cap for a bottle; and Figure 2 is a section on the line ll-ll of Fig.

1, partially cut-away to illustrate details.

The snap-on cap which is shown is intended for glass or plastics bottles, and is in particular of an 1 8mm nominal size, but the invention is applicable to a wide range of sizes. The cap comprises a circular top 10 and a depending skirt 1 2 formed on its inner side with an annular rib 14 (interrupted at either side of a pull-tag 1 8 as will be described) forming a projecting formation to facilitate snap-fitting by co-operating with a corresponding formation (e.g. an annular groove) formed around the neck of the bottle. The lower edge of this rib 14 of the cap is at a large inclination to facilitate camming upon the rib of the bottle's neck, whilst its upper edge is at a small inclination to resist pull-off movement of the cap once it has been snapped-on the bottle.A short skirt 1 6 depends from the top of the cap internally of the cap, and is provided externally at its rim with a chamfer as shown for co-operating with the inside rim of the bottle's neck.

An elongated pull-tag 1 8 forms a downwards projecting extension from the rim of the skirt, extending generally parallel to the axis of the skirt and indeed lying between the imaginary cylindrical surfaces on which the inner and outer surfaces of the skirt lie. The pull-tag is formed with a series of serrations 20 on its inwardly-facing surface, to aid gripping.

The skirt is reduced in thickness by two grooves 22, 24 in its inner surface, which grooves extend from closely adjacent the rim of the skirt (to either side of the pull-tag) and then to the top of the skirt, parallel to the axis of the skirt. These grooves interrupt the rib 1 4 of the skirt as shown. From the upper ends of the two grooves 22, 24, further grooves 26, 28 extend into the lower surface of the top 10 of the cap. These grooves 26, 28 continue circumferentially of the top 10, closely adjacent the inner surface of the skirt, to end spaced apart from each other at a region 30 which is diametrically opposite the position of the pull-tag 18.

The grooves 22, 26 and 24, 28 form two lines of weakness extending from the rim of the cap, up the skirt to the top of the cap and then around the cap adjacent its periphery.

In use, the cap is snap-fitted to the bottle initially, and removal is effected by grasping the pull-tag so that the cap tears along the two lines of weakness. Because these two lines of weakness terminate spaced-apart from each other, the cap retains its unitary structure, but it comes away from the bottle (and cannont be re-applied) because the cap has effectively been split from the rim of the skirt, up to the top and then across the top.

The cap may conveniently be injection moulded of low density polythene.

1. A snap-on cap form of closure for containers such as bottles, which cap comprises a one-piece plastics moulding with at least one projecting formation on the inner side of its skirt portion to facilitate a snap-fit co-operation with a corresponding formation on the container or bottle, the skirt also having a projecting extension providing a pull-tag such that, upon manually pulling this tag for removing the cap, the cap tears along two lines of weakness extending from its rim and up and across the top to the cap.

2. A snap-on cap form of closure as claimed in claim 1, in which the two lines of weakness extend up the skirt and then circumferentially around the top of the cap adjacent its periphery, to terminate spaced-apart from each other at a region diametrically opposite the position of the pull-tag.

3. A snap-on cap form of closure as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which said projecting formation on the inner side of the skirt comprises an annular rib which is interrupted

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Bottle and like container closures This invention relates to a snap-on cap form of closure for containers such as bottles, and in particular of pilfer-proof type (i.e. requiring the breaking of a tamper-proof portion of the cap before it can be removed for the first time). A crimped-on form of closure cap is known, which is formed of metal and provided with a pull-tag such that, upon manually pulling this tag for removing the cap, the cap tears along two lines of weakness extending from its rim and up and across the top of the cap. In accordance with this invention, there is provided a snap-on cap form of closure for containers such as bottles, which cap com- prises a on-piece plastics moulding with at least one projecting formation on the inner side of its skirt portion to facilitate a snap-fit co-operation with a corresponding formation on the container or bottle, the skirt also having a projecting extension providing a pull-tag such that, upon manually pulling this tag for removing the cap, the cap tears along two lines of weakness extending from its rim and up and across the top of the cap. In an embodiment to be described herein, the two lines of weakness extend up the skirt and then circumferentially around the top of the cap adjacent its periphery, to terminate spaced-apart from each other at a region diametrically opposite the position of the pulltag. Said embodiment of this invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a bottom view of a plastics snap-on cap for a bottle; and Figure 2 is a section on the line ll-ll of Fig. 1, partially cut-away to illustrate details. The snap-on cap which is shown is intended for glass or plastics bottles, and is in particular of an 1 8mm nominal size, but the invention is applicable to a wide range of sizes. The cap comprises a circular top 10 and a depending skirt 1 2 formed on its inner side with an annular rib 14 (interrupted at either side of a pull-tag 1 8 as will be described) forming a projecting formation to facilitate snap-fitting by co-operating with a corresponding formation (e.g. an annular groove) formed around the neck of the bottle. The lower edge of this rib 14 of the cap is at a large inclination to facilitate camming upon the rib of the bottle's neck, whilst its upper edge is at a small inclination to resist pull-off movement of the cap once it has been snapped-on the bottle.A short skirt 1 6 depends from the top of the cap internally of the cap, and is provided externally at its rim with a chamfer as shown for co-operating with the inside rim of the bottle's neck. An elongated pull-tag 1 8 forms a downwards projecting extension from the rim of the skirt, extending generally parallel to the axis of the skirt and indeed lying between the imaginary cylindrical surfaces on which the inner and outer surfaces of the skirt lie. The pull-tag is formed with a series of serrations 20 on its inwardly-facing surface, to aid gripping. The skirt is reduced in thickness by two grooves 22, 24 in its inner surface, which grooves extend from closely adjacent the rim of the skirt (to either side of the pull-tag) and then to the top of the skirt, parallel to the axis of the skirt. These grooves interrupt the rib 1 4 of the skirt as shown. From the upper ends of the two grooves 22, 24, further grooves 26, 28 extend into the lower surface of the top 10 of the cap. These grooves 26, 28 continue circumferentially of the top 10, closely adjacent the inner surface of the skirt, to end spaced apart from each other at a region 30 which is diametrically opposite the position of the pull-tag 18. The grooves 22, 26 and 24, 28 form two lines of weakness extending from the rim of the cap, up the skirt to the top of the cap and then around the cap adjacent its periphery. In use, the cap is snap-fitted to the bottle initially, and removal is effected by grasping the pull-tag so that the cap tears along the two lines of weakness. Because these two lines of weakness terminate spaced-apart from each other, the cap retains its unitary structure, but it comes away from the bottle (and cannont be re-applied) because the cap has effectively been split from the rim of the skirt, up to the top and then across the top. The cap may conveniently be injection moulded of low density polythene. CLAIMS

3. A snap-on cap form of closure as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which said projecting formation on the inner side of the skirt comprises an annular rib which is interrupted (for said lines of weakness) at either side of the pull-tag.

4. A snap-on form of closure as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the two lines of weakness are provided by grooves formed in the inner side of said skirt and in the inner side of the top of the cap.

5. A snap-on cap form of closure substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.