IE41618B1

IE41618B1 - A closed receptacle provided with a security device

Info

Publication number: IE41618B1
Application number: IE146/75A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: Bouchage Mecanique
Priority date: 1974-01-25
Filing date: 1975-01-24
Publication date: 1980-02-13
Also published as: BE824712A; DK22175A; FR2346233B1; FR2346233A1; DK135831B; ES434144A1; DK135831C; DE2502271B2; DE2502271C3; LU71723A1; IE41618L; NL7500832A; IT1031086B; DE2502271A1; GB1473482A

Abstract

1473482 Container closures; non-refillable bottle closures LE BOUCHAGE MECANIQUE 24 Jan 1975 [25 Jan 1974] 3201/75 Heading B8T and B8D A closed receptacle comprises a container and a closure the container having a neck 6 and a sleeve 11 fitted on the neck and enclosing a security device to prevent refilling of the container (e.g. valve 8 mounted on seat 7 and cup 9 with discharge portals 10 preventing access to the valve), and the closure comprising a skirt with an upper line of weakness 1 and a lower line of weakness 2 adjacent the lower edge of the sleeve 11. The skirt is attached to the sleeve below the upper line of weakness and to the neck of the container below the sleeve, e.g. by crimping into grooves 14, 15 respectively. The skirt may be provided with screw threads 3 to engage thread 16 on the sleeve and an impervious seal 17 may be provided between the sleeve and closure. The closure breaks at the line of weakness 1 on opening. Any attempt to remove the sleeve by disengaging groove 13 from lead 12 leads to breakage of the skirt at the second line of weakness 2 to provide an indication of tampering.

Description

There is known a large number of security devices intended to prevent fraudulent introduction of a liquid into a receptacle which initially contains a drink such as wine or liqueur, of which the origin is guaranteed by a label or trade mark. ' 1 Such a security device is often formed by an assembly of elements (valve, seating, chicane) maintained on the neck of the receptacle by a sleeve of plastics materialsuch as polyethylene, the sleeve being itself strongly held on the neck by means such as notches and grooves.

Such a security device may be covered with a cap or closure of which the function is at the same time to indicate, after the first opening of the receptacle, that the receptacle has been opened, and to prevent any fraudulent manipulation of the sleeve with the intention of interfering with the security device.

In general such a closure has a line of weakening situated above a line of mounting on the sleeve. Thus at the time of first opening of the receptacle,which is generally achieved by unscrewing of the upper part of the closure,, the latter is broken along the line of weakening.

The lower portion of the closure remains mounted on the sleeve and consequently is resistant to manipulations designed to remove the sleeve in order to interfere with the valve.

Unfortunately because of the relative elasticity of the plastics material forming the sleeve and also the usual manufacturing tolerances of bottles, it cannot be excluded that by exercising a strong axial force on the sleeve, it is possible to separate the latter from the -241618 neck without damaging the part of the closure which remains mounted on the sleeve; this detracts from the absolute character of the guarantee.

According to the invention there is provided a closed receptacle comprising a neck terminating in a mouth, the neck being provided with a security device to prevent refilling of the receptacle, a sleeve surrounding the end of the neck adjacent the mouth and security device, and a closure comprising a skirt surrounding the sleeve and a portion of the neck below the sleeve, the skirt being provided with an upper line of weakness around the sleeve, to be broken when the receptacle is first opened and a lower line of weakness adjacent the lower edge of the sleeve, the skirt being attached to the sleeve between the lines of weakness and to the neck below the lower line of weakness. The closure may be mounted on the sleeve and neck by crimping.

It is not possible, or at least very difficult, to remove the sleeve which contains the device rendering the bottle unrefillable. If it is attempted however to separate the sleeve from the bottle, the second line of weakening is necessarily broken which allows such fraudulent manipulation to be detected.

An embodiment of the invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an elevation of a closure before mounting on the sleeve and neck of a bottle, Figure 2 is an elevation of the closure of Figure 1 after mounting on the sleeve and on the neck of the bottle, and Figure 3 is a half section of the closure of Figure 2 after mounting and showing a valve device within the sleeve intended to prevent fraudulent refilling of -341618 the bottle.

After application of the closure to the bottle, the bottle with the closure of Figure 1 is distinguished from a bottle with the usual type of closure by the presence of two lines of weakening indicated by 1 and 2 respectively. In this embodiment these lines of weakening are formed by perforations of the wall of the closure separated by narrow bridges of material.

After closure, see Figure 2, the appearance of the closure of Figure 1 is modified by the presence of a screw thread 3 corresponding to that of the sleeve and by lines of crimping 4 and 5, in the neighbourhood of and below the lines of weakening 1 and 2 respectively.

The function of such a closure will be better understood with reference to Figure 3.

This Figure shows, in section, the neck 6 of a bottle on which is mounted an anti-fraudulent refilling ’ valve device.

This device comprises a seating 7 mounted on the neck, cooperating with a valve 8 above which is a cup 9 intended to prevent access to the valve from above. This cup is provided with ports 10 intended to allow flow of the liquid contained in the bottle at the moment of pouring.

The assembly of these elements is held on the upper part of the neck of the bottle by a sleeve of plastics material 11 which is securely fixed on the neck. The wall thickness of the sleeve exceeds that of the cup 9. In the construction shown in Figure 3 the sleeve is secured by the penetration of a projection 12 on the neck into a groove 13 provided at the base of the sleeve on its internal wall.

This assembly is covered by the closure shown in Figures I and 2,of which the skirt is sufficiently long -441618 to extend by a considerable distance below the lower part of the sleeve. This closure is crimped around the sleeve and within groove 14, at 4, below the line of perforations 1, and within groove 15 in the neck, at 5, below the line of perforations 2.

At the time of application of the closure to the neck there is also applied by means of rollers,screw threading 3 in the wall of the closure above the line of weakening 1, this screw threading corresponding to screw threading 16 provided on the external wall of the sleeve at its upper part.

An impervious cap 17 is held on the upper end of the sleeve by the base 18 of the closure.

On first opening of the upper part of the closure, the bridges of the line of weakening 1 are broken, which allows the bottle to be opened and the contents to be. discharged. However it is impossible to have access to the valve,which is protected by the cup 9, so that it is not possible to re-introduce a liquid into the bottle.

If it is attempted to remove the sleeve by pressing on the engagement of the groove 13 of the sleeve with the projection 12 of the neck, the bridges of the second line of weakening 2 are torn so that the lower part of the closure below this line is retained on the neck by the crimping at 5.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A closed receptacle comprising a neck terminating in a mouth, the neck being provided with a security device to prevent refilling of the receptacle, 5 a sleeve surrounding the end of the neck adjacent the mouth and security device, and a closure comprising a skirt surrounding the sleeve and a portion of the neck below the sleeve, the skirt being provided with an upper line of weakness around the sleeve, to be broken when the 10 receptacle is first opened, and a lower line of weakness . adjacent the lower edge of the sleeve, the skirt being attached to the sleeve between the lines of weakness and to the neck below the lower line of weakness.

2. A receptacle according to Claim 1, in 15 which the skirt is attached to the sleeve and neck by crimping.

3. A receptacle according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the sleeve and neck are each provided with a groove at the respective locations at which the skirt is attached. 2o

4. A receptacle according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, in which the upper end of the sleeve is externally screwthreaded and a corresponding screw-thread is applied to the upper portion of the skirt.

5. A receptacle according to Claim 1, substantially 25 as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.