GB2210864A - A closure for bottles - Google Patents

Abstract

A closure (1) for bottles, particularly of fine-quality spirits, which has a broad decorable surface, free of any faults or deformations, comprises a cap (23) having an internal thread (26) for engagement with the external thread (15) of a non-refillable pouring fitment (12). Attached to or integral with the base (24) of the cap is a smooth tubular skirt (28), which extends coaxially with the cap and abuts an annular land (18) of the pouring fitment. The closure may carry a pilfer-proof seal (35). <IMAGE>

Description

A closure for bottles particularly of fine-quality spirits This invention relates to a closure, particularly for bottles of fine-quality spirits, being of a type which comprises a cap-like stopper having a bottom and an inside thread format ion.

As is well known, in the art of closures for fine-quality spirits, such as aged high-strength spirits, there exists a special demand for function-wise and aesthetically fault Less closures; more specifically, the closures are required to show no flaws or deformations at their exposed surfaces and provide for application of suitable decorations, where desired.

Conventional closures, which usually comprise a cap which is threaded internally and either mounted directly on the bottle neck or a pouring body anchored in the bottle neck, are generally affected by surface rough spots that mar their appearance. In particular where the stopper is made of plastics, there tend to appear at the inside thread formation frequent discolored spots due to material straining. Further, for a former grip on the stopper to facilitate its threading out or down, the stopper is generally knurled in an axial direction, thereby it cannot receive decorations in such knurled areas.

As an alternative, closures comprising stoppers made of synthetic plastics materials have conventionally been substituted for by aluminum caps, since aluminum is a material which can be easily pressed to provide smooth even surfaces and constant thickness" but during application, rolling operations, such as are usually carried out on the stoppers, are apt to deform their surfaces, thus making such closure unsuitable for use on bottles of fine-quality spirits.

The problem that underlies this invention is to provide a closure of the kind specified hereinabove, which has such constructional and operational features as to overcome the prior art drawbacks.

This problem is solved according to the invention by a closure as indicated being characterized in that it comprises a tubular skirt of a predetermined height dimension attached to the stopper coaxially therewith.

Advantageously, moreover, the height dimension of said skirt is at least equal to the skirt diameter dimension.

The features and advantages of a closure according to the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, to be taken by way of illustration and not of limitation in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a closure according to the invention; and Figure 2 is a part-sectional elevation view of the closure shown in Figure 1.

In the bottle 2, which is known per se and has a longitudinal axis X-X, there are defined a substantially cylindrical neck 3 having a mouth 4, and a bottle body 5 which merges externally into the neck 3 to which it is connected by an annular portion 6 set at an angle to the axis X-X.

Preferably, the closure 1 includes a valving assembly effective to defeat deceptive re-filling of the bottle 2.

Said valving assembly, known per se, comprises a tubular member 7 made of a resiliently deformable material which fits in interlocked relationship with the mouth 4 and consists of a cage 8 inserted into the neck 3 for retaining, in a guided fashion along the axis X-X, two glass balls 9, 10, and a flange 11 abutting the mouth 4.

A pouring body 12 is a drive fit over an extension 13 of the tubular member 7. Mounted movable within the pouring body 12 is a bell-shaped shutter 14. A thread 15 is formed circumferentially around the pouring body 12.

The closure 1 is provided with a collar 16 formed from some suitable stiff synthetic plastics material and being substantially cylindrical in shape which fits over the neck 3 of the bottle 2 and is affixed with a top end 17 to the pouring body 12 as by ultrasonic welding.

At an opposite bottom end of the collar 16 located close to the angled portion 6 of the bottle 2, an annular land 18 is formed circumferentially.

On the collar 16 inside, there are formed tabs 19 which slope inwards toward the top end 17 of the collar 16 and abut into a recess 20 formed in the neck 3. Further, inside the collar 16 and on the neck 3, there are formed respective teeth 21 and matching teeth 22 in mutual axial engagement relationship.

The closure 1 further comprises a cap-like stopper 23 which is mounted on the pouring body 12. Defined in the stopper 23 are a bottom 24 and a tubular wall 25 which is formed with an inside thread 26 adapted to engage with the thread 15 in screwed relationship.

The reference numeral 27 designates a substopper mounted inside the cap-like stopper 23 at the bottom 24 of the latter to tightly shut off the pouring body 12.

In accodance with this invention, the closure 1 further comprises a smooth tubular skirt 28 having a strictly constant thickness dimension and extending coaxially with the stopper 23, to which it is affixed from the bottom 24-up.

In particular, the cap-like stopper 23 has an annular portion 29 extending in continuation of the bottom 24, to which portion a top end 30 of the tubular skirt 28 is attached.

Further, an interspace 31 is defined between the skirt 28 and the tubular wall 25 of the stopper 23.

Both the skirt 28 and the cap-like stopper 23 with the annular portion 29 are advantageously formed as one piece from some suitable stiff synthetic plastics material.

It is of interest to observe that the skirt 28 has a height dimension "H" at least equal to its diameter "D", nearly twice that dimension in the example shown, and accordingly, the skirt 28 has a broad surface exposed to view.

The height "H", moreover, is selected such that a bottom end 32 of the skirt 28 can abut against the annular land 18, said annular land 18 forming an extension of the skirt 28.

Indicated at 33 is an impression having a selected angular breadth "alpha" whose value is 300 in the example shown but may also be 3600, it being formed circumferentially around the annular land 18. This impression 33 is also contiguous to the bottom end 32 of the skirt 28 and forms a step 34 therewith straddling which step is in an advantageous manner a pilfer-proof seal 35, only shown schematically, such as a sticker stamp, an olographed stamp, or sealing wax.

The closure 1 of this invention is assembled by fitting the pouring body 12 with the collar 16 attached to it over the extension 13 of the tubular member 7. Then, once the substopper 24 has been mounted inside the stopper 23, the stopper 23 is screwed onto the pouring body 12 until the bottom end 32 of the tubular skirt 28, being rigid with the stopper 23, is brought to abut against the annular land 18, thereby providing a unitary assembly.

On completion of the closure 1 assembling procedure, the seal 35 is applied to the step 34 formed by the bottom end 32 of the skirt 28 and the impression 33.

Thereafter, the closure 1 is applied to the bottle 2 by driving the tubular member 7 axially into the neck 3 of the bottle 2 so as to have it locked at the mouth 4.

It should be noted that the collar 16 will be firmly retained on the neck 3 by the tabs 19 abutting into the recess 20; furthermore, any rotary movement of the collar 16 relatively to the neck 3 would be prevented by the axial teeth 21 on the collar being engaged with their respective matching teeth 22 on the neck 3.

By providing a cylindrical skirt around the screw cap, which skirt has a constant thickness throughout and is free of any inside rib or thread formations, the closure of this invention is enabled to afford a broad surface exposed to view which is smooth and faultless, and hence, ideally adapted to receive decoration patterns. By virtue of its dimensions, moreover, the cylindrical skirt can by gripped comfortably, which facilitates the stopper screwing and unscrewing operations onto/out of the pouring body.

An additional advantage of the closure according to this invention is that pilfer-proof seals may be applied to the step formed by the impression on the collar and the tubular skirt, to make any unsealing of the bottle readily detectable.

Advantageously, moreover, the closure described herein above has an aesthetically attractive design effective to upgrade a bottle mounting it.

In addition, the closure of this invention, in-its opened state for pouring out, will still display its decorations from its cap laid on a table.

The closure described in the foregoing may be altered and modified in many ways without departing from the true scope of this invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims (6)

Claims:

1. A closure particularly for bottles of fine-quality spirits, comprising a cap-like stopper having a bottom and an inside thread formation, characterised in that it comprises a tubular skirt of a predetermined height dimension attached to the stopper coaxially therewith.

2. A closure according to claim 1, in which the tubular skirt is attached to the stopper from the bottom of the latter up.

3. A closure according to claim 1 or 2, in which the height dimension of the skirt is at least equal to its diameter dimension.

4. A closure according to any preceding claim, in which the stopper and the skirt are a unitary construction of a stiff synthetic plastics material.

5. A closure according to any preceding claim, comprising a pouring body adapted to be anchored on a neck of a bottle and provided with a thread formation intended for engagement by the cap-like stopper, and a collar fitting over the bottle neck and affixed to the pouring body, there being formed circumferentially around a bottom end of the collar an annular land extending in continuation of the skirt and against which the skirt is intended to abut.

6. A closure according to claim 5, in which an impression on the annular land forms with the skirt a step to be straddled by a pilfer-proof seal thereon.

7 A closure substantially as described herein with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.