GB2255553A

GB2255553A - Bottle cap with tamper evident ring seal

Info

Publication number: GB2255553A
Application number: GB9204502A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Almirall Juan Pujol
Original assignee: Ultimos Desarrollos SA
Current assignee: Ultimos Desarrollos SA
Priority date: 1991-05-08
Filing date: 1992-03-02
Publication date: 1992-11-11
Also published as: ITTO920225A0; NO920782D0; FR2676211A1; IE920642A1; GB9204502D0; NO920782L; NL9200435A; FI920884A; CA2061184A1; ITTO920225A1; FI920884A0; GR920100082A; IT1259344B; SE9200642L; DE4206123A1; DK23092A; PT100153A; DK23092D0; SE9200642D0; LU88070A1

Description

21,55553 -j cl 1 is - 1 SEAL FOR BOTTLE CAPS_

As is expressed in the title of this specification, the present invention refers to a seal for bottle caps, which is of the type forming part of a capsule that is coupled by screwing to the corresponding bottle neck, capsule to which a tearable ring determining the seal itself, is connected.

According to the invention, said seal has the particularity that the same is torn in the operation itself of opening the bottle, or in other words, in the unscrewing of the cap, but said tearable ring or seal remains connected to the capsule of which it formed part.

In order to guarantee for safety reasons or simply for commercial reasons the inviolability of a bottle sealed by means of a threaded capsule, in order words, to reveal a possible opening, the threaded capsule tends to have a sealing means formed by a tearable ring, which is provided with an inside annular tooth that locks in a thickening provided for this purpose on the bottle itself.

The sealing ring must be expressly removed before removing the cap, by pulling on a tongue provided for this purpose, which results burdensome for the user, since on many occasions the tongue cannot be adequately grasped.

In another different embodiment, the cited sealing ring lacks the pulling tongue, the capsule automatically separating itself when the latter is unthreaded.

This system is easier for the user than the previously cited one, given that no express operation to unseal the bottle need be done. In this case the sealing ring remains under the thickening of the bottle, once the -2 1 connecting appendixes that connected the cap itself are torn.

Now then, the use of this typd of sealing ring on C_ returnable bottle is an inconvenience, given that it makes it necessary to include in the cleaning process a prior step of removal of said sealing ring.

If we add to this the fact that the resistance of the sealing ring and its size are two critical features in the moment of design and manufacturing thereof, given that they are features that determine the efficacy of the seal, for the user as well as for the bottling company, it was said that this all gives rise to a problem that is difficult to solve.

In effect, if the ring is very rigid and resistent it will effectively guarantee the inviolability of the container, but it will be difficult to put it on the first time when the bottle has been filled and it must be closed for shipment thereof. On the contrary, if the ring is very flexible or has too much play, it will be easier to put it on the first time but the sealing guarantee will not be so reliable.

The sealing device for bottle caps object of the invention solves all the inconveniences posed by the conventional systems, based on the type of ring that automatically tears when the capsule forming the cap is unscrewed, but instead of remaining under the thickening of the ring of the bottle, it remains connected to the capsule itself, for which purpose it has been provided that some of the appendixes that connect the ring to the capsule are oversized so that the sealing ring remains connected to the rest of the cap, though the latter is already separated from the bottle. Besides, it may have another series of tearable appendixes h 3 - V j of small resistance, to permit easy tearing in the operation of unscrewing the cap.

The oversized appendixes remain grouped in a sector of certain amplitude, as of a transversal weakening line provided in the sealing ring itself, all conceived to permit the beginning of the tearing.

on the other hand, the sealing ring unit itself includes some alternate notches that determine a certain transversal flexibility in order to facilitate the placement of the cap for the first time after the bottle has been filled,. maintaining, however, the axial rigidity required to guarantee the seal.

Likewise, the sealing ring includes a transversal weakening in a certain point that defines a narrow strip having alternate notches, the latter forming an undulated or irregular section.

The center portion of the undulated section is thinner and logically forms the breaking area of the ring itself, having a bevel edge.

In this way, upon putting the capsule or cap itself on the bottle for the first time, the sealing ring opens slightly by virtue of the cited notches, making it possible to surpass and go beyond the thickening provided for this purpose on the bottle itself.

Finally, it should be said that the inclination of the annular tooth that the sealing ring conveniently has on its inside surface, allows or facilitates the entering of the capsule but prevents its removal without producing the tearing of the ring.

In order to complement the description that is going to be made hereinafter and for the purpose of providing a better understanding of the features of the invention, the present specification is accompanied by a single sheet of drawings on the basis of whose figures the sealing device object of the invention will -4 1 - be more easily understood.

10, Figure 1.- It shows a diametral section of a cap that includes the sealing ring in a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2.- It shows a b,ottom plan view of the cap with the sealing ring represented in the above figure.

Figure 3.- It shows a side raised view of a portion of the seal, in a second embodiment of the invention, where the weakened area of the same and the corresponding angular notches can be seen.

Figure 4.- It shows a sectional view corresponding to the cutting line B-B' of the above figure, this sec tion passing through the weakened area of the sealing ring and through one of the notches.

Figure 5.- It shows another section corresponding to the cutting line AA' which passes through the weakened atea of the sealing ring and through the center area of the undulated section that form the notches.

As can be seen in figures 1 and 2, the cap with the seal of the invention, in a preferred embodiment, is of the type for.med by a capsule provided with an inside thread which is complementary to the thread provided on the mouth of the bottle, the seal being of the type formed by a tearable ring forming a single piece with the capsule that materializes the cap. The cited sealing ring is referred to with number (1) and has the particularity of being connected to the front edge (2) of the capsule Mby means of a plurality of tearable appendixes (4) and by means of other oversized appendixes (5), such that the latter determine some permanent connections of the sealing ring (1) with regard to the capsule (3.) The oversized appendixes (5) are grouped in a sector of approximately 909 at the most and they are located t 1 r Q as of the transversal weakening (6) that the sealing ring (1) has to start the tearing.

The inclined annular tooth (7),that has inside it the sealing ring (1), as a retaining means regarding the corresponding thickening provided in the neck of the bottle, is interrupted close to the transversal weakening (6) that the sealing ring (1) has as the start of the tearing. Such interruption of the cited inclined annular tooth (7) extends towards the sector where the oversized 10 appendixes (5) are grouped.

As can be seen, the transversal weakening (6) of the sealing ring (1) comprises the alternately placed notches (8) on both sides thereof, and o f which, at least one, extends towards the opposite edge by means of a recess as thick as the ring (1), materializing the transversal weakening itself (6.) When the cap is put on the bottle for the first time by the bottling company of the marketed liquid, the sealing ring (1), thanks to the alternate arrangement of the notches (8) provided on the transversal weakening thereof (6), opens slightly tosurpass and go beyond the thickening provided on the bottle itself as a complement of the sealing system. The inclination of the annular tooth (7) also facilitates the entering of the capsule (3) but prevents its removal without the tearing of the ring (1) being produced.

When the consumer unscrews the capsule (3), the tearable appendixes (4) break, but the sealing ring (1) is kept connected to the capsule (3) even after having totally unscrewed it, given that the oversized appendixes (5) offer enough resistance so as to avoid the detachment thereof.

So that the removal of the capsule (3) with regard to the bottle is not interfered with, the annular tooth (7) is interrupted in the area where the oversized appen- 1 dixes (5) are distributed.

The oversized appendixes (5) nevertheless have a small enough size so as to allow the user to remove by hand the sealing ring (1), once the capsule (3) has been removed from the bottle, so that the presence of the ring (1) does not hinder subsequent screwing and unscrewing.

As it can be seen, with the simple oversizing of some of the appendixes that originally connect the sealing ring (1) with the capsule (3), it is achieved that the cited sealing ring (1) does not remain around the neck of the bottle, in such a way that in the cleaning operation for recovery of the container, the sealing ring (1) removal step will not be necessary.

On the other hand, with the special design of the transversal weakening (6) with its alternate notches (8), the insertion of the cap in the bottle in the bottling step is extraordinarily and safely facilitated, ensuring however,_the guarantee that the seal must offer.

In a varied embodiment shown in figures 3, 4 and 5, the sealing ring 11 is provided with a transversal weakening (9) that defines a narrow strip provided with alternate notches (10), constituting an undulated or irregular section (11) that acts as a flexible spring; with the particularity that these alternate notches (10) determine dihedral recesses of approximately 60 degrees.

The center portion (12) is thinner than the undulated or irregular section (11) constituting the breaking area of the ring itself 11, center portion (12) that has a bevel edge (13) located on its top edge, while the rest of the undulated section (11) has all along it a bevel edge (14.) In this way, placement of the capsule or cap on the bottle for the first time by the bottling company, permits that by virtue of the alternate arrangement of the notches (10) the sealing ring (11) opens slightly, making - 7 1 it possible to surpass and go beyond the thickening provided on the bottle itself, as a complement of the sealing system, while the inclination of the annular tooth that this type of sealing ring normally has on its inner surface, will facilitate the entering of the capsule on the bottle neck but will prevent its removal unless the sealing ring itself is torn.

1 is

Claims

1. Seal for bottle caps, of the type applicable to caps formed by a capsule provided with inside thread, complementary to the thread provided on the mouth of -the bottle and the seal being of the type formed by a tearable ring forming a single piece with the capsule that materializes the cap, essentially characterized because said sealing ring is connected to the front edge of the capsule by means of a plurality of tearable appendixes and by means of other oversized appendixes the latter determining some permanent connections of the sealing ring with regard to the capsule.

2.- Seal for-bottle caps, according to the above claim, essentially characterized because the oversized appendixes are grouped in a sector of approximately 909 at the most and they are situated as of the trans versal weakening that the sealing ring offers as the start of the tearing.

3.- Seal for bottle caps, according to the above claims, essentially characterized because the inclined annular tooth that the sealing ring has inside as a retaining means with regard to the corresponding thickening provided on the neck of the bottle, is inter rupted close to the transversal weakening. that the sealing ring offers as the start of the tearing, said interruption extending from the cited inclined annular tooth towards the sector where the oversized appen dixes are grouped.

4.- Seal for bottle caps, according to the above claims, essentially characterized because the transversal weakening of the sealing ring comprises some alternately placed notches.. on both edges of the same, of which, at least one, extends towards the opposite edge by means of a recess as thick as the ring itself.

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5.- Seal for bottle caps, essentially characterized because the sealing ring, in a specific point, has a transversal weakening that defines a narrow strip having some alternate notches, forming an undulated or irregular section as a support.

6.- Seal for bottle caps, according to the above claim, essentially characterized because the alternate notches define some dihedral recesses of some 60 degrees.

7.- Seal for bottle caps, according to claims 5 and 6, essentially characterized because the undulated or irregular section has a thinner center portion said center portion having a bevel edge on its top edge.

8.- Seal for bottle caps, according to claims 5, 6 and 7, essentially characterized because the undulated or irregular section has all along it a bevel edge on its top edge.

g.- Seal for bottle caps, substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5.