GB2309689A

GB2309689A - Container neck and flexible cap for use therewith having matching registering multiple thread patterns

Info

Publication number: GB2309689A
Application number: GB9707813A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Luca Molinaro
Original assignee: Northern Engineering and Plastics Corp
Current assignee: Northern Engineering and Plastics Corp
Priority date: 1993-03-24
Filing date: 1994-03-23
Publication date: 1997-08-06
Anticipated expiration: 2014-03-23
Also published as: GB2309689B; GB9707813D0

Abstract

A blow moulded container (10) has a cylindrical neck portion (13) with seven circumferentially spaced continuous spiral thread configurations (14-20) on its exterior to immediately receive and engage a tamper indicating flexible cap comprising a top 21 with an annular depending wall 22 on its peripheral edge and seven circumferentially spaced continuous spiral thread configurations on the inner surface of the annular depending wall. The construction enables the flexible cap to immediately engage the lead-in ends of the seven thread patterns on the exterior of the neck of the container without the heretofore necessary rotation of known caps.

Description

IMPROVED NECK FINISH FOR A CONTAINER AND A MATCHING REGISTERING MULTIPLE THREAD PATTERN IN A FLEXIBLE CAP FOR ENGAGEMENT ON SAID NECK FINISH This invention relates to containers and more particularly to containers such as blow moulded plastics jugs and tamper indicating caps which are widely used in the dairy industry and others for the expendible packaging of dairy products and other liquids.

Known containers of this type may be seen in the following U.S. Patents: 2,162,711; 3,650,428; 3,980,195; 4,154,609; 4,402,415; 4,418,828; 4,497,765; 4,534,480; 4,561,553; 1,443,682; 4,852,774; 5,004,114; 3,885,696; 4,298,129 and 5,213,224.

In each of the above U.S. patents there are individual neck spiral thread configurations which require a cap with a matching single spiral thread configuration for engagement thereon and have the common fault of requiring selective testing rotation of the cap on the threaded neck of the container before the single pattern is engaged.

Additionally, partial semi-annular thread patterns comprising ribs are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,589,561 and 4,666,053.

According to the present invention, there is provided a container having a neck surrounding an opening therein, said neck having a first cylindrical portion of one diameter, a plurality of fastening configurations on the exterior of said first portion extending parallel to the axis of said first portion, a second cylindrical portion of smaller diameter than said one diameter, said second portion extending between said first portion and said opening, a plurality of circumferentially-spaced, continuous spiral thread configurations on said second portion, each spiral thread configuration extending for more than a complete spiral circle and having outermost ends defining circumferentially-spaced lead-in points so as to form multiple means for registering engagement with a flexible cap having a depending annular wall and corresponding inner spiral thread configurations and a tear skirt depending from said depending annular wall with means on said tear skirt to engage said fastening configurations of said container neck.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view elevation of a portion of a container such as a blow moulded jug with a cylindrical neck finish comprising an upper portion thereof and having multiple horizontally and vertically spaced continuous spiral thread configurations; Figure 2 is a plan view of the container of Figure 1 and illustrating a preferred seven lead-in, circumferentiallyspaced ends of seven continuous threads comprising the neck finish; Figure 3 is a side view with parts broken away illustrating a plastics cap for the container with vertically and horizontally spaced raised continuous thread patterns on an inner surface of a depending annular wall for matching engagement with the neck finish; Figure 4 is a partial underneath view of the cap of Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of the cap positioned on the container with a portion of a combined tear skirt and flexible ratchet strip partially torn away therefrom.

Referring to the drawings and to Figure 1 in particular, a portion of a blow moulded jug or the like 10 has a neck 11 of a first diameter including at least two groups of vertical fastening configurations 12 spaced circumferentially thereon. The neck of the container above the portion 12 is a cylindrical portion 13 with a plurality, preferably seven, horizontally and vertically spaced continuous annular spiral threads 14, 15 and 16 as seen in Figure 1. Referring to Figure 2, the upper horizontally spaced ends of the remaining continuous annularly spiral threads are indicated by the numerals 17, 18, 19 and 20.

Each of the vertically and horizontally spaced continuous annular spiral threads 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 extend continuously for more than a complete spiral circle before terminating on the cylindrical neck portion 13 in spaced relation to the upper surface of the portion 11 of the neck finish.

Figure 2 illustrates the lead-in ends of the seven circumferentially and vertically spaced continuous annular spiral threads 14-20 spaced continuously around the neck finish of the tubular portion of the neck 13.

Additionally, the vertical fastening configurations 12 comprise two groups of ratchet teeth which are preferably positioned on opposite sides of the threaded neck 13 although other groupings of the vertical fastening configurations 12 may be used if desired.

Figure 3 shows multiple thread patterns 14A to 20A in a thin-walled flexible plastics cap registering with the thread patterns of the container.

The cap is a push-on, pull-off, tamper indicating flexible cap and comprises a top portion 21 having an annular depending wall 22 integrally joined to the peripheral edge of the top 21. The cap is provided with a down turned annular sealing flange 23 depending from the bottom of the annular top 21 of the cap and the bottom edge of the depending annular wall 22 comprises a narrow outturned rib 24. A tear skirt 25 of a slightly larger diameter than the rib 24 is formed with its inner surface having a continuous ratchet tooth configuration 26. The innermost upper corners of each of the ratchet teeth 26 comprise connecting members 27 by which the tear skirt 25 is integrally attached to the lower peripheral edge of the narrow outturned rib 24.

It will be seen that the innermost upper corners of each of the ratchet teeth 26 which comprise the connecting members 27 are spaced circumferentially so as to leave a plurality of openings 28 that also appear in the left hand portion of the cap as seen in Figure 5.

As illustrated in Figure 5 the cap is illustrated engaged on the neck finish of the tubular portion 13 of the neck of the container. The tear skirt 25 is illustrated partially separated from the annular depending wall 22 of the cap so that the continuous ratchet teeth 26 are separated from their engagement with the lower peripheral edge of the narrow outturned rib 24 which defines the lower edge of the annular depending wall 22. The continuous ratchet teeth 26 of the flexible tear skirt 25 are shown partially disengaged from one of the two groups of ratchet teeth comprising the fastening configurations 12 on the neck 11 of the container 10. In order that the continuous ratchet strip comprising the tear skirt 25 be freed from the remainder of the cap as shown in Figure 5, a pull tab 29 is freed from a vertical tear line 30 and moved outwardly as illustrated.

It will be appreciated that by removing the tear skirt 25 completely, it is necessary to break away each of the connecting members 27 which are formed by the innermost upper corners of each of the ratchet teeth 26 which are closely circumferentially spaced to one another and provide a very durable connection that is not subject to accidental tearing during the handling of the cap as in installing the same on the neck of a blow moulded jug or the like.

By referring again to Figures 1 and 3, it will be seen that the tear skirt 25 which comprises the elongate ratchet strip with the ratchet teeth 26 is joined at one of its ends 31 to the tear tab 29 and its other end 30 terminates in the vertical tear line 30. The tear skirt 25 in its as formed and in use position as best seen in Figure 3 is positioned vertically and it will also be seen that its lower edge is provided with an outturned flange 32 which will engage and rest on the portion of the blow moulded jug 10 immediately below the neck portion 11.

Thus it will be seen that the push on or screw on, pull off tamper indicating flexible cap for blow moulded jugs or the like with its continuous ratchet teeth configurations formed by the ratchet teeth 26 on the inner surface of the tear skirt 25 of the cap and the attachment of the tear skirt 25 to the lower surface of the outturned narrow rib 24, which comprises a slightly widened lower edge of the annular depending wall 22 of the cap, results in a large plurality of very small frangible connections between the uppermost corners 27 of the ratchet teeth 26 of the continuous ratchet configuration of the inner side of the tear skirt 25 and the seven thread lead-in configuration which allows for instantaneous and continuous threading of the cap onto the bottle neck.

The cap can be arranged to be twist-on, twist-off.

It will be appreciated that substantially improved application of the caps to the neck finishes of the containers is achieved as well as very substantially increased liquid sealing engagement between the multiple continuous spiral thread patterns on the continuous neck finish and on the inner surface of the depending wall of the cap.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A flexible cap for use with a container having a neck, the neck surrounding an opening in the container and having a first cylindrical portion of one diameter, a plurality of exterior fastening configurations on an exterior of said first portion extending parallel to the axis of said first portion, a second cylindrical portion of smaller diameter than said one diameter, said second portion extending between said first portion and said opening, a plurality of circumferentially-spaced, continuous spiral thread configurations on said second portion, each spiral thread configuration having an end nearest the opening defining a circumferentially-spaced leadin point so as to form multiple means for registering engagement with said cap, said flexible cap having a top, an annular wall depending from said top, a plurality of circumferentially-spaced spiral thread configurations on an inner surface of said annular depending wall and engageable with the spiral thread configurations provided on said second portion of said neck, each spiral thread configuration of said cap extending around said annular depending wall and being of a length such that said cap has at least four turns of thread total on said annular depending wall, and a tear skirt depending from said annular depending wall and having a plurality of interior fastening configurations, said interior fastening configurations engaging said exterior fastening configurations to form a ratchet to permit relative rotation between the cap and the container in one circumferential direction only while said tear skirt remains attached to said annular depending wall.

2. A flexible cap according to claim 1, wherein said interior fastening configurations and said exterior fastening configurations interengage upon relative axial movement of said cap and said neck.

3. A flexible cap according to claim 1, wherein said tear skirt has an inner diameter which is greater than an outer diameter of said annular wall.

4. A flexible cap according to claim 1, wherein said interior fastening configurations comprise connecting members by which the tear skirt is frangibly attached to the annular depending wall.

5. A flexible cap substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A container having a neck in combination with a flexible cap, the cap having a top, an annular wall depending from said top, a plurality of circumferentially-spaced spiral thread configurations on an inner surface of said annular depending wall, each spiral thread configuration extending around said annular depending wall and being of a length such that said cap has at least four turns of thread total on said annular depending wall, and a tear skirt depending from said annular depending wall and having a plurality of interior fastening configurations, said neck surrounding an opening in the container and having a first cylindrical portion of one diameter, a plurality of exterior fastening configurations on an exterior of said first portion extending parallel to the axis of said first portion, said exterior fastening configurations engaging said interior fastening configurations to form a ratchet to permit relative rotation between the cap and the container in one circumferential direction only while said tear skirt remains attached to said annular depending wall, a second cylindrical portion of smaller diameter than said one diameter, said second portion extending between said first portion and said opening, a plurality of circumferentially-spaced, continuous spiral thread configurations on said second portion, each spiral thread configuration having an end nearest the opening defining a circumferentially-spaced leadin point so as to form multiple means for registering engagement with said interior spiral thread configurations on said cap.

7. The combination of claim 6, wherein said exterior fastening configurations and said interior fastening configurations interengage upon relative axial movement of said cap and said neck.

8. The combination of claim 6, wherein said tear skirt has an inner diameter which is greater than an outer diameter of said annular wall.

9. The combination of claim 6, wherein said interior fastening configurations comprise connecting members by which the tear skirt is frangibly attached to the annular depending wall.

10. A container having a neck surrounding an opening therein, said neck having a first cylindrical portion of one diameter, a plurality of fastening configurations on the exterior of said first portion extending parallel to the axis of said first portion, a second cylindrical portion of smaller diameter than said one diameter, said second portion extending between said first portion and said opening, a plurality of circumferentially-spaced, continuous spiral thread configurations on said second portion, each spiral thread configuration extending for more than a complete spiral circle and having outermost ends defining circumferentially-spaced lead-in points so as to form multiple means for registering engagement with a flexible cap having a depending annular wall and corresponding inner spiral thread configurations and a tear skirt depending from said depending annular wall with means on said tear skirt to engage said fastening configurations of said container neck.

11. A container according to claim 10, wherein there are seven of said spiral thread configurations.

12. A container according to claim 10 or 11, wherein said lead-in points of said spaced continuous spiral threads are positioned adjacent an upper end surrounding said opening.

13. A container according to claim 10, 11 or 12, wherein said fastening configurations on said first portion of said neck comprise groups of ratchet teeth arranged for engaging with continuous ratchet teeth formed on the inner surface of said tear skirt of said flexible cap so as to prevent rotation of said cap on said first portion of said container neck.

14. A container according to any of claims 10 to 13, and further comprising a said flexible cap, which has a top, an annular depending wall on said top and a plurality of circumferentially and axially spaced continuous spiral thread configurations on the inner surface of said annular depending wall corresponding to and engageable with said spiral thread configurations on said second portion of said neck.

15. A container according to claim 14 and comprising a tear skirt of a greater diameter than and depending from said annular wall, said tear skirt having means to engage said fastening configurations on said container neck.

16. A container according to claim 15, wherein said means on said tear skirt are continuous ratchet teeth and said fastening configurations are ratchet sections.

17. A container, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.