GB2120643A

GB2120643A - Cap for hermetically-sealing containers

Info

Publication number: GB2120643A
Application number: GB08313719A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jean-Jacques Labaig; Christian Martinez; Michel Siard
Original assignee: Compagnie Francaise de Raffinage SA
Current assignee: Compagnie Francaise de Raffinage SA
Priority date: 1982-05-21
Filing date: 1983-05-18
Publication date: 1983-12-07
Also published as: FR2527175A1; GB8313719D0; IT1169413B; NL8301770A; DE8314738U1; IT8321096A0; ES279985Y; BE896783A; ES279985U; DK227583D0; DK227583A

Abstract

A cap for sealing containers comprises a bottom part 3, intended to adhere to the lips of the container opening, and a skirt 4 adjoining the bottom part and designed to adhere to the neck or body 2 of the container. The skirt 4 extends along only some of the periphery of the bottom part and, along the remainder of this periphery, the bottom part is adjoined by a gripping appendage 5 which projects laterally and can be turned down towards the neck or body of the container without adhering thereto. The gripping appendage may have a skirt portion (13) extending without interruption from or separated by notches (14) from the skirt. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cap for hermetically-sealing containers The present invention relates to caps for hermetically-sealing containers, in particular bottles made of plastics material (e.g.

polyethylene or polypropylene).

It is known to produce seals or cap closures (caps) from laminated complexes comprising, in particular, a thin metaliic foil, usually of aluminium, a layer of an adhesive product and a film of thermoplastic material, which complex is sealed onto the periphery of the container opening, for example onto the rim of the neck of a bottle.

Whereas in general seals are flat and only adhere to the lips of the opening, caps comprise a skirt which corresponds in shape to the neck of the container and adheres laterally thereto. In both cases, the laminated complexes known in the art and described in prior applications ensure fluidtight sealing, thereby ensuring satisfactory preservation of the product packaged in the container, particularly liquids (e.g. sterilized milk or fruit juices) contained in bottles.

In French Patent Applications FR78 33243 and 81 16315, in particular, the Applicants have described laminated complexes for producing, particularly, seals, which in addition to the fluidtightness provided by their being heat-sealed onto the neck or body of the container, have the advantage of being "peelable", viz. of tearing away easily by hand from the surface of the container, at the time when the container is first used, without it being necessary to perforate the complex. By taking precautions, it is thus possible to carry out partial tearing away of the seal, so that the seal remains firmly attached to the container and the latter can be re-sealed with the same seal, without having to use another closure means.

As described in the afore-mentioned Patent Applications, these complexes are likewise suitable for producing caps or seals for containers other than bottles (e.g. receptacles containing creams or yoghourt pots).

However, in the case of caps, which adhere not only by their central part, forming a base, to the lips of the opening but which are firmly attached by their skirt to the container neck, it is difficult, if not impossible, to tear them away by hand, when first opening the container, in the manner of peelable seals.

The present invention seeks to obviate this drawback by providing caps which makes it possible not only to seal containers hermetically by gluing, sealing or welding the caps to the periphery of their openings, but which are likewise peelable, i.e. they lend themselves to rapid and easy opening by being detached manually from the surface of the container.

For this purpose, the invention provides a cap for hermetically-sealing containers, comprising a base or bottom part intended to adhere to the lips of the container opening, and a skirt adjoining said bottom part and designed to adhere to the neck or body of the container, said cap being characterised in that the skirt extends along only some of the periphery of said bottom part and that, along the remainder of this periphery, said bottom part is adjoined by a gripping appendage which projects laterally and which, optionally, can be turned down towards the neck or body of the container without adhering thereto.

Therefore, the gripping appendage comprises a portion forming a tab, which extends from the bottom part, but does not adhere to the container, and which may or may not be adjoined by a skirt portion either extending from the skirt of the cap, which skirt adheres to the container neck, or separated from the skirt by notches or indentations.

Since the fitting of caps on container necks on a large scale normally takes place at a fast rate using distribution chutes, it is preferable for the gripping appendage to comprise at least one skirt portion, either adjoined or not to the skirt intended to adhere to the container neck, so as to prevent any superimposition of the caps in the distribution chutes, and also to ensure improved stability on the container neck before, for example, heatsealing.

After the cap has been fixed onto the container by gluing, welding or heat-sealing, the appendage can be turned down against the neck, without adhering thereto. To facilitate this operation it would be preferable, if a skirt portion is included, for the latter not to adjoin the skirt proper which adheres to the neck of the container. For the same purpose, advantageously at least one slot or at least one notch can likewise be provided in the skirt portion of the appendage farthest away from the bottom part, so as to prevent the formation of unaesthetic creases or folds when this skirt portion is turned down against the container neck.

The part of the appendage forming a tab adjoining the bottom part could be of any shape which provides a satisfactory grip, for example a U-shape or a V-shape with the apex pointing outwards. By gripping this portion it is easily possible for the user to tear the cap away from the container when it is used for the first time, by initially detaching from the container the bottom part adhering to the lips of the opening but without the skirt adhering to the container neck, then by tearing the cap away from the container starting at the two ends by which this skirt adheres to the neck or body of the container.

In the case of a cap with a circular bottom part, the skirt adhering to the neck can extend through an arc of 2700 of said neck. The length of said skirt measured from the bottom part could be similar to that of conventional caps.

It will be noted that, in view of their shape, caps according to the invention lend themselves to selfcentering on the neck of containers. Furthermore, they are stable when resting on a flat surface, and possess sufficient rigidity for fitting and fixing on container openings using fully-mechanised equipment.

The accompanying drawings illustrate, by way of example, four embodiments of caps according to the invention, wherein: Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a first embodiment of a cap secured onto the neck of a container, before optional turning down of the gripping tab adjoining the bottom part; and Figures 2, 3 and 4 are perspective views of three other embodiments.

The cap 1 in Figure 1 is shown fixed onto the neck 2 of a bottle having a circular section. The cap comprises a base or bottom part 3, likewise circular, which adheres to the lips of opening of the neck 2, thus sealing it hermetically, and a skirt 4 which extends perpendicularly away from the bottom part 3, through an arc of about 2700, and which adheres to the outer surface of the neck 2.

A V-shaped gripping tab 5 extends from the bottom part 3 outwardly from the two ends 4a of the skirt 4. After fixing the cap 1 onto the neck 2 of the bottle, for example by heat-sealing in the case of a cap constituted by a complex described in the afore-mentioned Patents Applications and of a bottle made of plastics material, the tab 5 can be turned down against the neck 2 without adhering thereto.

It is evident that, by grasping the gripping tab and pulling it rearwards, the user firstly detaches from the lips of the opening the bottom part 3 without skirt 4, and then, starting from the ends 4a of this skirt, the user tears away this bottom part 3, thereby forming therein an opening of generally triangular shape.

It it thus possible to open the bottle as if it had been sealed by a simple seal similar to the bottom part 3 but devoid of a skirt, without using punching or perforating means. It will be noted that it is likewise possible, as in the case of a seal, to carry out partial opening of the cap so as to enable the bottle to be re-closed, without resorting to other closure means, for example before placing the bottle in a refrigerator.

This embodiment of a cap according to the invention, although having the afore-mentioned advantages of rigidity and self-centering on the neck of the container to be fitted therewith, lends itself poorly to continuous feeding from distribution chutes in which, in fact, there is the risk of the caps being superimposed.

The caps illustrated in Figures 2 to 4 obviate this drawback.

In the case of the cap in Figure 2, the skirt 7 adjoining the bottom part 8 extends without interruption to the periphery of the gripping tab 9, thus extending the bottom part 8. Superimposition of the caps in distribution systems is thus avoided but, on the other hand, if the tab 9 is turned down after being fixed onto the neck of a bottle or the body of any other receptacle, unaesthetic creases or folds may be formed in the portion of skirt 7 adjoining this tab.

The caps in Figures 3 and 4, which constitute the most preferred embodiments of the invention, do not have this drawback.

In the cap of Figure 3, the tab 11 extending from the bottom part 1 2 is provided with a skirt 13, but this latter is separated by notches or slots, such as 14, from the skirt 1 5 adjoining the bottom part 12 and intended to be adhered to the neck of the container to be closed.

It is thus possible to turn the tab 11 downwards while avoiding the formation of creases in the region of the skirt 13. It is also possible for this skirt 13 to be deformed, starting from the notches 14, so as to be adapted to the shape of the neck or body of the container. Furthermore, the detaching of the bottom part of the cap adhering to the lips is facilitated by the presence of these notches.

Preferably, a rectilinear slot 1 6 is provided in the skirt 13 starting from the nose of the tab 11, perpendicular thereto, so to allow, if necessary, partial overlapping of these two parts of the skirt adjacent this slot 1 6, and also to prevent with greater certainty the formation of creases or folds.

Moreover, the presence of the slot 16 facilitates the unfolding of the skirt 1 3 and therefore the gripping of the tab.

The cap shown in Figure 4 is similar to that shown in Figure 3 and the members already described are here designated by the same reference numerals but with the addition of the index '.The only difference is that the slot 16', instead of being rectilinear like the slot 16, is cut in the shape of a V, the apex of which ends at the nose of the tab 1 1', so as to limit the over-lapping of the parts of the skirt 13' adjacent the slot 1 6'.

Of course, the shapes of the bottom parts, of the gripping appendage and of the skirts of the caps according to the invention may be chosen freely and in no way limited to those shown in the accompanying drawings.

Similarly, although in the foregoing reference has been made particularly to caps consisting of a laminated complex and intended to seal bottles made of plastics material, the caps according to the invention may be made of any other material and may be secured by any means known in the art of any type of container for the purpose of sealing an opening.

Claims

1. A cap for hermetically-sealing containers, which cap comprises a base or bottom part intended to adhere to the lips of the container opening, and a skirt adjoining said bottom part and designed to adhere to the neck or body of the container, said cap being characterised in that the skirt extends along only some of the periphery of said bottom part and that, along the remainder of this periphery, said bottom part is adjoined by a gripping appendage which projects laterally and which, optionally, can be turned down towards the neck or body of the container without adhering thereto.

2. A cap as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that said gripping appendage comprises a tab, particularly in the shape of a U or V with its apex pointing outwards, which tab extends from said bottom part.

3. A cap as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that said tab is without a skirt.

4. A cap as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that said tab includes a skirt portion extending without interruption from the skirt of the cap adjoining the bottom part and intended to adhere to the body or neck of the container.

5. A cap as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that said tab comprises a skirt portion separated by notches or slots from the skirt adjoining the bottom part which skirt is intended to adhere to the body or neck of the container.

6. A cap as claimed in Claim 5, characterised in that a rectilinear slot is provided in said skirt portion starting from the nose of the tab and disposed perpendicularly to this latter.

7. A cap as claimed in Claim 5, characterised in that a V-shaped notch, the apex of which ends at the nose of the tab, is provided perpendicularly to this latter in the skirt portion.

8. A cap as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7, intended for hermetically-sealing containers made of plastics material by heat-sealing around the opening of the containers, characterised in that the cap consists of a laminated complex comprising at least one metallic foil and a film of thermoplastic material.

9. A cap as claimed in Claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in any one of Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A container when hermetically-sealed using a cap as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.