GB2370835A

GB2370835A - Push-pull closure for drinks container

Info

Publication number: GB2370835A
Application number: GB0031666A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Romeo Mestriner
Original assignee: TECHNOCAPS Ltd
Current assignee: TECHNOCAPS Ltd
Priority date: 2000-12-23
Filing date: 2000-12-23
Publication date: 2002-07-10
Also published as: GB0031666D0

Abstract

A closure device for a drinks container comprises a first component which includes a collar 1 to be attached to the neck of the container 4, and having a top wall 2 from which projects a tube 3 which opens into the container at one end and is closed at the other, the tube including two co-axial walls 8, 9, one of which is an extension of the other, is of smaller diameter than the other, and has at least one dispensing slot 10, and a second component in the shape of a tube 6 including a dispensing orifice 7, the second component being coupled to the first component and axially movable with respect to it. As described the tube 6 has a bead 16 which co-operates with beads 17, 19 and 20 on the tube 3 to define three operative positions of the tube 6 relative to the tube 3. In a first, closed, position (Fig 1) the bead 16 engages bead 19, the closed end 5 of tube 9 closes dispensing orifice 7, and the inner wall of tube 6 closes off slot(s) 10, in a second position (Fig 2) the bead 16 engages bead 20, the slot(s) 10 is open and pressurised gas is vented from the container via a recess 18, and in a third position, as shown, the bead 16 engages bead 17 and the slot(s) 10 and dispensing orifice 7 are both open. Further air-tight sealing is provided in the closed position by engagement of the lower end 22 of the inner wall of tube 6 with a recess 13 provided adjacent the slot(s) 10.

Description

CLOSURE OF THE PUSH-PULL TYPE FOR CONTAINERS FOR CARBONATED SOFT DRINKS AND SIMILAR.

The invention relates to a closure system for containers of the type that allows drinking directly from the container itself sucking with the mouth and/or by squeezing the container.

Such closures normally include a collar ring screwed onto or in anyway anchored to the container and a mobile sealing device moving axially by means of an action of pulling or unscrewing between a closed position and an open position.

The opening of the container can be obtained either by means of the teeth or by means of the hands and so also for the re-closing of it.

Closures of the type above described have been known for years and are diffused in the market of the still (non-carbonated) drinks for sportsmen.

Pouring is obtained, after pulling the sealing device, by squeezing the container that must therefore be of a resilient material.

For containers suitable for carbonated drinks instead more complex solutions have been developed, which are expensive and of difficult fabrication, when produced in bulk as required by the market they are aimed to.

The US patent no. 5810185 describes a closure for carbonated soft drinks of the type with unscrew motion of the sealing device, between a closed position and an open position, that employs washers to obtain the air tight seal : but the washers imply an additional cost and are of difficult positioning during fabrication while the opening of the sealing device is obtained by rotation only

and not by a push-pull action ; an operation, the former, not easy to execute . with the mouth.

The objective of the invention is the manufacturing of a closure of the type described above that: allows its usage on containers for carbonated drinks, that is of easy and economical production, guarantees the air tight seal under pressure and allows the opening by a simple pulling action and the closing by pushing on the sealing device, a characteristic, this last one, very appreciated in the sports world.

The objective of the invention is achieved by a closure including two components: a first component, including a collar screwed onto the neck of a container, has a wall at the top from which originates an hollow tube communicating with the interior of the container at one end and closed at the other end. While a second component, also shaped as a hollow tube with a dispensing orifice, sits on top of the first component, and is able to slide between a closed position, and an intermediate one of gas release and a final open position, to dispense a drink.

The tube of the first component includes two c-axial walls one an extension of the other and of different diameter, the smaller one includes at least one slot to allow the passage of the drink.

The hollow tube of the second component includes also two c-axial walls, one an extension of the other, the smaller one of the two, when in the closed position, serves as a stopper to the slot described above.

In this way the internal pressure of the container exerts its force on the wall on a radial direction and therefore does not exert a force useful to open the sealing device when it is not required.

The present invention, as it will be better explained further on, allows furthermore the intermediate discharge of the gas accumulated between the various dispensing sessions, making it therefore easier to open the container directly with the mouth before drinking.

Other further advantages will be illustrated in the description of the preferred solution together with the drawings where in: FIG. 1 is represented a full cross-sectional view of the assembled closure, along axis x-x, in the closed position, FIG. 2 is represented a full cross-sectional view of the assembled closure, along axis x-x, in the intermediate gas release position, FIG. 3 is represented a full cross-sectional view of the assembled closure, along axis x-x, in the open position, FIG. 4 is represented a side view of the second component of the closure, FIG. 5 is represented a side view of the first component of the closure.

With reference to FIG. 1-3, it is overall indicated with 1 a collar screwed onto the container neck finish 4 and fitted with traditional sealing means with the latter as for example a transverse wall 2 that settles on the opening of the container by screwing on. From the above transverse wall 2 extends a hollow tube, overall indicated with 3, communicating with the interior of the bottle at one end and closed at the other end. The tube 3 includes two c-axial walls 8 and 9, one an extension of the other. The wall 9 is of smaller diameter than wall 8 and is closed at the top end by means of a blind wall 5. The wall 9 is open by at least one slot 10 to function as fluid passage that allows the dispensing of the liquid when the sealing device is in the open position.

Preferably the slots should be five and between each one of them are positioned reinforcing ribs 11 that extend from the wall of smaller diameter 9 and that of larger diameter 8. The two above mentioned walls are connected between them by a shoulder 12 on which is included a circular recess 13 practically as wide as the shoulder itself and of sufficient depth to retain by locking the external terminal part 23 of wall 22 as we shall see later.

As an example the depth of recess 12 must be at least one millimetre and as much must be its width.

The above tube 3 has, on the external side of wall 8: a circular bead in sectors 17 just below the shoulder 12, a recess 18 extending in parallel to axis x-x by a predetermined height and a further circular bead 19, that too in sectors, and also positioned on the outside of wall 8 just above the transversal wall 2.

Outside tube 3 is located the second component that also consists of a tube, overall indicated with 6, including two c-axial walls 14 and 15, one the extension of the other.

The wall 14 of a wider diameter couples with and moves along the outside of wall 8 of the first tube. At the internal side of the lower end of wall 14, is located a circular bead 16 that has the function of clipping in position below the circular bead 19 located near the end of wall 8 when the closure is in closed position. Such a coupling is mobile thanks to the resilient wall 14 so as to allow the de-coupling of the two circular beads when you wish to open the container, which is achieved by pulling and sliding the first tube over the second one. In the intermediate position between the first circular bead 17 and the second circular bead 19 is positioned a third circular bead 20. This circular bead has the function of stopping in an intermediate position tube 3 in relation to tube 6 during the opening operation. The bead 20 will be in practice positioned at the very top end of recess 18 that will be therefore placed between two sectors of such circular bead 20 and circular bead 19 as illustrated in detail in FIG. 5.

The wall 15 of the tube 6 is of a smaller diameter of wall 14 and is connected to that by means of a shoulder 21. The internal side of wall 15 couples up and slides onto the external side of wall 9 of tube 3 and is fitted with a c-axial extension 22 of a sized length so as to lock in sealing engagement with the"U" shaped circular recess 13 of shoulder 12 in the closed position.

Shoulder 21 may be extended with advantage in a perpendicular direction to axis x-x so as to create a bead 23 used to facilitate the grip of the fingers or of the teeth while opening the container.

With reference to FIG. 2 the recess 18 will create an area of venting that, during the intermediate position of opening, will allow the gas to escape from the container towards the external atmosphere on an alternative path to the dispensing orifice 7 that in such a position will still be closed by wall 9. The circular beads 17 and 20, being in sectors, do not stop the passage of the gas.

With reference to FIG. 3 it is possible to see the closure system according to the invention in the position of dispensing. The circular bead 16 has skipped over the intermediate stop 20 and it has stopped against the bead 17, and advantageously the external part of wall 8 will couple and seal with circular bead 16 of wall 14, while the ending part 22 of wall 15 shall leave open a dispensing gap in relation to wall 9.

The closure system may include an overcap with function of dust and dirt protection and also of tamper-evident initial seal of known type and therefore not represented here.

The closure system according to the present invention is assembled to form an overall unit that can be handled easily as a single unit by inserting by pressure along axis x-x the first component unto the second component until the circular bead 16 overcomes and locks by elastic deformation onto the circular ring 19. The closure system obtained in such a way is ready to be assembled by screwing or snapping onto the neck of the container 4.

The advantage that is obtained from the use of the closure system according to the invention is in the fact that the surface exposed to the internal pressure of the container in the closed mode is the internal part of wall 22 corresponding to slots 10. Such a force is contrasted by the shoulder 21 and by the external wall of the"U"shaped circular recess 13 into which the terminal part of wall 22 is locked into, in this way expansions and deformations that may compromise the air tight seal are avoided. Another advantage that is obtained from the closure system according to the invention is of having an axial pushing force that acts onto tube 6 which is practically zero, and therefore the interference between the circular beads 16 and 19 (which maintains the device in closed position) must be minimal and so the opening of the container, specially if done with the mouth, does not present any difficulties.

The closure system according to the invention allows therefore the closing of containers containing carbonated drinks by overcoming the disadvantages presented by the devices based on known technology.

The present invention is summed up in a device, which allows the seal on pressurised bottles to be maintained, and at the same time is of simple and easy manufacturing and easy to use.

Obviously a specialist in this field in order to satisfy specific requirements may develop various specific variants to the closure above mentioned all of them however comprised within the scope of the invention described in the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Closing device for bottles of carbonated or non-carbonated drinks including two components: the first in the shape of a collar 1 screwed or snapped onto the neck of a bottle which has a top wall 2 from which an hollow tube 3 extends communicating with the inside of the bottle 4 on one end and closed at the other end by a wall 5 and a second component, that also in the shape of a tube 6 including a dispensing orifice 7 coupled with the first component and being axially movable with respect to it and characterised by the fact that said tube 3 of the first component includes two c-axial walls 8,9 one the extension of the other and of different diameter the smaller of which have at least one slot 10 in order to allow the dispensing of the liquid.
2. Device according to claim 1 wherein said wall of smaller diameter 9 of said tube 3 is connected to the c-axial one of larger diameter 8 by means of a shoulder 12 including a"U"shaped circular recess 13 next to said slot 10.
3. Device according to claim 1 wherein the external part of said larger wall 8 of said tube 3 includes at least three circular beads 17,20 and 19.
4. Device according to claim 3 in which said circular beads 17 and 20 are in sectors.
5. Device according to claim 1 wherein said larger diameter wall 8 of the said tube 3 includes a recess 18 extending between said sectors of circular bead 20 and bead 19.
6. Device according to claim 1 wherein said tube 6 is formed by two c-axial walls 14, 15 one the extension of the other that couple by sliding with the walls of tube 3.
7. Device according to claim 5 wherein said wall of smaller diameter 15 of the said tube 6 is connected in a c-axial extension to that of larger diameter 14 by means of a shoulder 21 that extends outside as to create a bead 23.

Device according to claim 5 wherein said wall of smaller diameter 15 includes in its lower part a c-axial extension 22 that sealingly engages said"U"shaped circular recess 12 and closes air tightly said slot 10 of the tube 3 in the closed position.

7. Device according to claim 1 wherein said tube 6 includes a circular bead 16 that interacts with the above mentioned circular beads 17, 20 and 19 to define a first position of closed, a second position of gas release and a third position of open of the sealing device.
8. Device according to claim 6 wherein said wall of smaller diameter 15 of the said tube 6 is connected in a c-axial extension to that of larger diameter 14 by means of a shoulder 21 that extends outside as to create a bead 23.

9. Device according to claim 6 wherein said wall of smaller diameter 15 includes in its lower part a c-axial extension 22 that sealingly engages said "U"shaped circular recess 12 and closes air tightly said slot 10 of the tube 3 in the closed position. Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. Closing device for bottles of carbonated or non-carbonated drinks including two components: the first in the shape of a collar 1 screwed or snapped onto the neck of a bottle which has a top wall 2 from which an hollow tube 3 extends communicating with the inside of the bottle 4 on one end and closed at the other end by a wall 5, said tube 3 of the first component includes two c-axial walls 8,9 one the extension of the other and of different diameter the smaller of which have at least one slot 10 in order to allow the dispensing of the liquid and a second component, that also in the shape of a tube 6 including a dispensing orifice 7 coupled with the first component and being axially movable with respect to it and characterised by the fact that said wall of smaller diameter 9 of said tube 3 is connected to the c-axial one of larger diameter 8 by means of a shoulder 12 including a"U"shaped circular recess 13 next to said slot 10.

2. Device according to claim 1 wherein the external part of said larger wall 8 of said tube 3 includes at least three circular beads 17, 20 and 19.

3. Device according to claim 1 and 2 in which said circular beads 17 and 20 are in sectors.

4. Device according to claim I wherein said larger diameter wall 8 of the said tube 3 includes a recess 18 extending between said sectors of circular bead 20 and bead 19.

5. Device according to claim 1 wherein said tube 6 is formed by two c-axial walls 14, 15 one the extension of the other that couple by sliding with the walls of tube 3.

6. Device according to claim 1 wherein said tube 6 includes a circular bead 16 that interacts with the above mentioned circular beads 17, 20 and 19 to define a first position of closed, a second position of gas release and a third position of open of the sealing device.