JP2009516623A - Jaw seal for container seal assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

Container closure assembly comprising a threaded closure with a sealing plug (24) and a sealing skirt (20) sandwiching the container lip (5). The skirt and plug have sealing ribs (21, 22, 26, 27) that are anastomosed with the container lip. The said rib exists in the position where the distance of the vertical axis direction from the base (3) of a sealing member is substantially equal.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an improved seal for a container seal assembly. The present invention is particularly useful for sealing containers that are substantially airtight and do not leak, such as containers for carbonated and non-carbonated drinks.

Glass, paper, ball paper, metal or plastic beverage containers with screw caps that can be retightened on the neck of the bottle are well known. A container having such a screw closure assembly is airtight and leaks even during initial shipping and storage, and after consuming part of the contents if the closure is retightened to the neck of the bottle. It is desirable that the sealing not to maintain the quality of the beverage.
Certain current container and seal assemblies use an elastic liner within the base of the seal cap. The liner is pressed against the lip of the neck of the bottle when the cap is tightly clamped to the neck of the bottle and provides a tight seal due to compression between the soft, deformable liner and the lip of the container. Unfortunately, manufacturing a liner and inserting it into a sealing cap requires an extra step compared to others. Further, since the liner becomes brittle or damaged when excessive pressure is applied, care must be taken that such sealing members do not overtighten the neck of the container.
Also known is a cylindrical plug-like stopper that projects downward from the base of the sealing cap, which makes a protective contact with the inner surface of the neck of the bottle close to the lip of the bottle. ing. In order to achieve an effective seal with such a plug-like closure, the base of the cap is deformed and the plug is radiated outward to form a tight sealing anastomosis with the neck of the container. It is necessary for the cap to be screwed very tightly into the neck of the container. Such caps are very often under tightened, especially by children and elderly users. In addition, the effective sealing force is that the screw on the cap and neck are slanted and the cap torque applied to the cap is very strong downward sealing force between the container lip and the base of the sealing member. It is feasible only when

  WO 02/42171 includes a container neck having an opening at one end and a side wall defining a lip extending around the opening, the inner surface of the side wall near the lip being inclined inwardly; A sealing member for the base, the sealing member having a base and a skirt; a first thread on the neck; a second thread on the inside of the skirt of the sealing member; the first and second threads Is arranged so that the user can tighten, remove and retighten the sealing member into a sealing position on the neck by rotating the cap on the neck; from the base of the sealing member to the inside A sealing plug extending substantially concentrically with the skirt portion of the sealing member, the sealing plug having a plurality of annular sealing ribs on the outer surface thereof, the ribs of the container when the sealing member is clamped to the container neck Inner surface of the neck At least one flexible sealing fin between the sealing plug and the skirt portion of the sealing member, the fin anastomosing with the container lip; and at least one on the inner surface of the skirt portion of the sealing member A container sealing assembly is described having two annular sealing ribs that anastomose with the outer surface of the neck near the lip of the container when the sealing member is clamped onto the container neck.

FR-A-2327930 includes a container neck; a sealing member for the neck; a thread on the sealing member and the neck that can bite together; and a base of the sealing member that extends into and is inserted into the container neck A container closure assembly having a sealing plug for the purpose is described. The sealing plug has two annular sealing ribs on its outer surface, which anastomoses with the inner surface of the container neck when the sealing member is clamped to the container neck. The assembly further includes a flexible sealing fin projecting from the base of the sealing member between the sealing plug and the skirt portion of the sealing member, the fin being a container when the sealing member is clamped to the container neck. Anastomoses with the lip.
Other sealing assemblies with plugs with ribs on the sealing cap are described in DE-A-4207997, WO99 / 44896, US-A-3944104, FR-A-2340865, WO2005 / 058720 and GB-A-2022063. Has been.
The configuration of the screw stopper container and sealing member still provides an effective seal without the need for a liner and without the need for a strong axial sealing force between the container neck and the sealing member. There is a request that should be possible.

  The present invention relates to a container neck having an opening at one end and a side wall defining a lip extending around the opening; a sealing member for the neck, the sealing member comprising a base and a threaded skirt A first thread on the neck; a second thread on the inner surface of the threaded skirt of the sealing member; the first and second threads allow the user to cap on the neck By rotating, the sealing member is substantially threaded from the base inside the sealing member, which is arranged so that the sealing member can be clamped, removed and retightened in a sealing position on the neck. Concentrically extending sealing plug, the sealing plug having two or more annular sealing ribs spaced longitudinally on its outer surface, the sealing member being a container neck When tightened Tsu anastomosing and up near the container neck inner surface, there is provided a container closure assembly comprising a. The sealing member further includes a seal extending substantially concentrically with the threaded skirt portion of the sealing plug and the sealing member between the sealing plug and the threaded skirt portion of the sealing member from the base of the sealing member. A skirt, the sealing skirt having two or more annular sealing ribs spaced longitudinally on its inner surface, said ribs being lipted when the sealing member is clamped to the container neck Anastomoses with the outer surface of the adjacent container neck; where two of the sealing ribs on the sealing plug are in use from two of the annular sealing ribs on the sealing skirt and the base of the sealing member Arranged so that the distance is substantially the same, so that the container neck lip has two or more longitudinally spaced when the sealing member is in the container neck sealing position. position Having, sandwiched sealing ribs on the sealing plug and the sealing skirt are.

This creative construction of the sealing plug, sealing skirt and sealing rib is novel and provides a surprisingly improved seal with low sealing force.
The hermetic assembly of the present invention is suitably applied to carbonated beverage containers such as molded plastic or glass carbonated beverage bottles.

The container lip is preferably rounded to allow easy and comfortable drinking from the container neck, and more preferably its section is completely rounded (ie hemispherical). A further advantage of the present invention is that a pressure-tight seal is obtained in a completely rounded container lip, since the sealing means is effective. Preferably, at least one of the annular sealing tightenings by the annular sealing rib is configured to sandwich the rounded portion of the container neck from both sides. That is, the sealing plug and the corresponding sealing rib on the sealing skirt anastomoses with the rounded surface of the lip near the top of the neck.
An advantage of the present invention is that an effective pressure tight seal can be obtained on a conventional container neck having an inner wall substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the neck. However, in certain embodiments, the inner sealing surface of the container neck may be tilted inward. That is, the inner diameter of the neck may decrease as the distance from the lip increases. In this aspect, it is preferable that the inside of the neck has a substantially inverted frustoconical surface shape. The inclination of the sealing surface inside the container neck is preferably about 1 ° to about 10 °, more preferably about 2 ° to about 6 ° from the longitudinal axis of the neck. This tilt can assist in the effective sealing of the plug against the inner wall of the neck.

The sealing plug is preferably cylindrical, more preferably cylindrical, typically projecting vertically downward from the base of the sealing member, and preferably substantially concentric with the threaded skirt. Yes, it is coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the sealing member. The height of the sealing plug is preferably about 1 mm to about 5 mm, for example about 1.5 mm to about 2.5 mm. The sealing plug is usually molded integrally with the sealing cap. The average thickness of the cylindrical wall of the sealing plug is preferably about 0.5 mm to about 2 mm, for example about 0.7 to about 1.2 mm. This results in the sealing plug having mild elasticity and strength for the desired sealing function.
Preferably, the outer surface of the sealing plug can be inclined inwardly from the base of the sealing member, for example, can be substantially complementary to any inward inclination inside the container neck. The average angle of the inclination is preferably about 1 ° to about 10 °, more preferably 2 ° to 6 ° from the longitudinal axis of the neck.

  The container sealing member in the assembly of the present invention further includes an annular sealing skirt. The sealing skirt is spaced apart and radially spaced from the threaded sealing skirt that engages with the screw on the outside of the container neck. The sealing skirt is preferably substantially cylindrical, more preferably cylindrical, and projects downward from the middle of the sealing skirt and sealing plug at the base of the sealing member. The sealing skirt is preferably concentric with the threaded skirt and the sealing plug and is coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the sealing member. The height of the sealing plug is preferably about 1 mm to about 5 mm, for example about 1.5 mm to about 2.5 mm. In some embodiments, the height of the sealing plug is substantially the same as the height of the sealing plug. The sealing skirt is typically molded integrally with the base of the sealing cap. The average thickness of the cylindrical wall of the sealing skirt is preferably about 0.5 mm to about 2 mm, for example about 0.7 mm to about 1.2 mm. This provides the sealing skirt with a slight elasticity and strength for the desired sealing function.

The assembly of the present invention further includes two or more annular sealing ribs that are anastomosed to the inner surface of the container neck on the outer surface of the sealing plug, and the outer surface of the container neck on the inner surface of the sealing skirt. It has two or more annular sealing ribs to be anastomosed. Two or more of these additional annular sealing ribs on these sealing skirts are located at substantially the same height as two or more of the annular sealing ribs on the sealing plug, respectively, from the base of the sealing member. To do. This means that when the sealing member is in a sealing position on the neck, they cooperate to provide a symmetrical sealing clamp at two or more vertically spaced positions on the container neck. Become. That is, the ribs provide a symmetrical sealing clamp at two or more vertical heights below the top of the container lip.
It is preferred that there are two sealing ribs on the sealing plug and / or sealing skirt, but in certain embodiments it is preferred that there are 3 to 10 ribs, even 4 to 6 ribs.

  Preferably, the at least one sealing rib has a substantially triangular cross-section, for example a substantially equilateral triangular cross-section, when the sealing cap is observed in a longitudinal cross-section. As a result, the sealing force is concentrated on the apex of the sealing rib, and the sealing effect can be maximized. The at least one sealing rib preferably has a height in the range of 10 to 500 micrometers, more preferably 50 to 250 micrometers. This height is defined as the maximum distance that the sealing rib protrudes on the adjacent surface of the sealing plug or sealing skirt when the cap is viewed in a longitudinal section. Such small sealing ribs are particularly effective for concentrating the sealing force and achieving an effective seal on the substantially smooth sealing surface of the container neck. Furthermore, such a minute rib is particularly easy to mold with a high-speed cap molding device and to be released from the mold mandrel of the device after molding.

A further advantage of using a plurality of sealing ribs on the sealing plug and sealing skirt is that the plurality of sealing ribs can have more than one dimension to optimize sealing. For example, the size of the sealing rib closest to the base of the sealing member can be made larger than the size of the sealing rib away from the base of the sealing member. This allows the sealing rib closest to the base of the sealing member (ie, closest to the lip of the container) to be deformed more than the sealing rib farthest from the base of the sealing member.
The sealing plug and sealing skirt preferably have sides that define a symmetrical jaw for gripping the container neck. The annular sealing rib looks like a jaw “tooth” in longitudinal section. The lowest part of the corresponding sealing skirt and the farthest part from the base of the sealing member of the sealing plug may have sides such that each of the sealing skirt and the sealing plug provides additional annular sealing ribs that grip the neck of the sealing member. preferable.
By using a plurality of symmetrically arranged annular ribs, each of which can be freely bent in the radial direction, on the sealing plug and the sealing skirt, without applying excessive force to the sealing member, It is possible to form a pressure tight seal between the container neck and the sealing member without requiring a sealing liner at the base.

  The container closure assembly of the present invention is particularly suitable for use with screw configurations that are quick and easy to tighten and retighten. The screw configuration is one that can be tightened and retightened by rotation of a single smooth sealing member on the container neck that is 360 ° or less, more preferably 180 ° or less, and most preferably about 90 °. is there.

The first and second screws are preferably multipoint start screws, such as two point start screws or three point start screws, and more preferably four point start screws. This allows the user to reduce the rotation of the cap for finding the starting point of the screw, further promoting the tightening of the sealing member on the neck. The screw is preferably a substantially free-sliding screw or a parallel screw. That is, the screws on the sealing member and cap are free to slide through each other without interfering contact between the screw segments on the sealing member and cap.
The first and second screws are preferably continuous helical screws. That is, these screws are not plug-in screws that require stepwise movement of the sealing member to tighten the sealing member on the neck, but a continuous helix with a thread gradient of substantially less than 90 ° throughout. This defines the screw trajectory. The screw preferably has an average screw slope of 5 ° to 15 °, more preferably 10 ° to 20 °. The minimum vertical travel distance of the cap on the neck from the fully clamped position on the neck to the fully disengaged position is typically about 2 mm to about 10 mm, for example about 4 mm to about 8 mm. .

  Steep screws are easy to use and have the advantage that the tamper-evident ring is more securely separated from the skirt of the sealing member. However, it will be understood that such a steep screw results in a downward force on the sealing member with only a relatively small rotational force acting on the sealing member. A feature of the sealing configuration of the present invention is that a reliable pressure-resistant sealing can be obtained without applying a strong downward force to the sealing member as in the conventional sealing configuration.

  An advantage of the assembly according to the invention is that a pressure tight seal can be obtained without any further annular flexible sealing fins as described in WO 02/42171 between the sealing plug and the sealing skirt. However, in one embodiment, the sealing member of the assembly of the present invention includes one or more anastomoses with the lip of the container between the sealing plug and the sealing skirt when the sealing member is clamped on the container neck. You may have an annular flexible sealing fin. The sealing fin may have its base between a sealing skirt and a sealing plug in the base of the sealing member, or may extend downward or inward from the base of the sealing skirt or sealing plug. Good.

The sealing member preferably has two sealing fins extending concentrically around the sealing member. The two sealing fins are preferably arranged substantially symmetrically on either side of the lip of the container so as to provide a balanced sealing clamp on the lip. In this embodiment, the container closure assembly has a second sealing fin extending downwardly and inwardly from between the sealing plug and sealing skirt at the base of the sealing member. The first and second sealing fins seal the sides of the lip of the container, preferably in a substantially symmetrical and balanced manner. The first and second fins can each bend in opposite directions when the sealing member is tightened onto the container neck. This dual action ensures that at least one and usually both sealing fins form a pressure tight seal on the lip.
The height of the sealing fin is preferably larger than the width at the base. The cross section of the sealing fin is preferably an isosceles triangle. The at least one sealing fin is preferably 1 to 4 mm in height.

The at least one sealing fin is preferably in contact with a stop surface when the sealing member is clamped on the container neck. Two flexible fins form a seal as described above on both sides of the container lip, and the two stop surfaces are completely clamped and the base of the sealing skirt and sealing skirt contact each of the sealing fins in a pressure resistant position. Preferably it is formed.
The container and sealing member are complementary locks on the container neck and sealing member, and to prevent or prevent the sealing member from loosening from a fully clamped position on the neck unless a predetermined minimum opening torque is applied. It is preferable to have a site for use. For example, the locking portion may include a longitudinal locking rib on at least one of the container neck or the skirt of the sealing member, and a complementary locking ramp on the other of the neck and the skirt of the sealing member. Can be. The locking rib contacts the holding edge of the locking slope when the sealing member is completely tightened on the container neck.

  In one embodiment, the first and / or second locking projections (side catches) are raised with the first and / or second thread segments when the sealing member is fully engaged on the container neck. The positions overlap. In other words, the first and second locking projections are not completely above or below the screw (where upper and lower refer to relative positions along the longitudinal axis of the assembly). , At least partially within the area of the screw. The side catch is preferably located adjacent to the end of the screw. This allows the entire screw assembly to be made more compact in the longitudinal (vertical) direction, thus reducing the total amount of molding material and assembly space required to manufacture the assembly. it can. This also allows the neck screw in certain embodiments to be made more suitable for drinking directly from the neck.

  The first and second locking portions are typically located near the lower end of the screw when the sealing member is fully tightened on the container. Preferably, the first and / or second locking projections extend below the lower ends of the first and second threads when the sealing member is completely tightened on the container as described above. Preferably not. The “lower end” means a portion of the neck screw farthest from the opening of the container neck. In such an assembly, it is preferable that the locking projections be located substantially completely in the gap between the screws on the circumference, not on or below the screws. The locking projection on the neck is preferably not connected to the ring or shoulder at the lower end (this shoulder is used, for example, to hold a tamper-proof band) and is therefore used for locking The flexibility of the convex portion is improved, and the sound for “sealing when clicking sound” is enhanced.

  In addition to the foregoing, it is preferred that at least one, preferably both, of the complementary locking projections on the neck and / or sealing member are substantially spaced from the threads, thereby The projecting portion has flexibility independent of the screw segment, and when the sealing member reaches a completely tightened state on the neck portion, the projecting portion snaps and emits a clearly audible sound. Generally, when the fully tightened position approaches, the innermost point in the diametrical direction of the second locking portion of the skirt of the sealing member is the diametrical direction of the first locking portion of the container neck. Ride to the outermost point. When the sealing member moves away from the clamped position, for example, when the assembly is opened, the second locking member overcomes the highest point of the first locking member and returns.

  The length of at least one of the complementary locking projections on the neck and / or the sealing member, preferably both longitudinal (ie, along the axis of rotation of the sealing assembly) is from about 1 mm to about 6 mm, for example about 2 mm to about 4 mm. The height of at least one, preferably both of the complementary locking projections on the neck and / or container is from about 0.25 mm to about 2 mm, such as from about 0.5 mm to about 1.5 mm. In any case, the height of the locking projection is lower than the average height of the corresponding thread. At least one, preferably both, of the complementary locking projections on the neck and / or sealing member have a maximum width (ie, a width around the circumference of the neck or the skirt of the sealing member) of about 0. 5 mm to about 3 mm, for example about 1 mm to about 2 mm. At least one, preferably both, of the complementary locking projections on the neck and / or sealing member have a ratio of its maximum height to maximum width of at least about 0.5, more preferably at least 1, for example, about 1 to about 5.

  In a preferred embodiment, the first locking convex portion is located at a position overlapping the upper end portion of the first screw thread at a height position in the vertical direction and spaced apart in the circumferential direction. In another embodiment, the second locking convex portion overlaps with the lower end portion of the second screw thread at a height position in the longitudinal direction and is located at a location separated in the circumferential direction. The latter aspect is preferable because the first locking projection is located far from the opening of the container neck. In these embodiments, the circumferential separation between the protrusion and the corresponding thread is typically about 1 mm to about 10 mm, such as about 1 mm to about 4 mm. In these embodiments, circumferentially spaced locking projections abut threads of other parts of the assembly when the parts of the assembly are screwed together. That is, it can be said that the convex parts spaced apart in the circumferential direction form a part of the screw track on the sealing member or the neck. For example, when there is a relatively long thread on the skirt of the sealing member that defines a screw trajectory for a relatively short thread on the container neck, the locking projection on the skirt of the sealing member is Spaced from the lower end of the relatively long thread on the skirt of the sealing member, so when the sealing member is attached to the neck, it first defines its extension at the start of the screw track and then the screw on the neck Proceed along the mountain. The above method of forming one extension of the screw track on the neck or sealing member using the locking protrusion solves the problem caused by the large locking protrusion overlapping the screw, Moreover, the sliding of the screw is not hindered. The locking projection is generally located on that line, like a so-called extension of the threaded track of one of the neck or sealing member.

  The assembly of the present invention can have more than one set of complementary locking projections on the container neck and sealing member. Preferably, there are at least two complementary sets as described above spaced circumferentially around the neck and the skirt of the sealing member. Typically, there can be at least one set for each screw starting portion, for example four sets around the neck and the skirt of the sealing member.

The locking projections on the neck and the skirt of the sealing member are preferably in a circumferential position such that they contact each other when the sealing member is fully clamped on the container neck and in the sealing position. That is, when the convex portion on the sealing member is completely tightened and in the sealed position, the convex portion rides on one side of the convex portion of the corresponding container neck and comes into contact with the opposite surface to be stationary. This ensures that there is no play on the cap that causes leakage from the sealed portion when tightened in the sealed position. When tightened in the sealing position and the convex portions are in contact, it is preferable that the skirt and / or the convex portion of the sealing member is still slightly distorted in order to exert an elastic force on the contacting convex portion. The elastic force is amplified by the contact, generates a torque in the direction of the plug between the sealing member and the neck, and pushes the sealing member into a completely tightened sealing position. This ensures that the sealing surfaces of the container neck and the sealing member are automatically pressed against each other even when the sealing member is not tightly tightened. Furthermore, the locking protrusions are assembled because the interaction of the locking protrusions and the radial distortion of the skirt of the sealing member achieve effective sealing over a wider range of sealing positions around the circumference. Even a considerably worse level of manufacturing error during molding is acceptable.
The advantage of the locking projection for pushing the sealing member into the sealing position is described in detail in WO 93/01098. The entire contents of this publication are incorporated herein by reference.

The complementary locking portion of the present invention provides numerous other important advantages in addition to pushing the sealing member into a fully tightened sealing position as described above. First, the locking portion prevents the sealing member from being inadvertently released by pressure from the inside of the container from the completely engaged sealing position on the container neck. The locking site allows for the use of steeper-sloped screws and free-sliding (parallel) screws without the risk of the natural loosening of the sealing member. Rotation using a steeper-slope screw makes it easier to remove and retighten the sealing member.
In some embodiments, the locking site of the present invention may emit a “click” sound when the sealing member is fully occluded on the container neck to reach the sealed position. Accordingly, it is possible to positively inform the user that the sealing member is in a completely tightened (sealed) position. This mechanism also ensures that a moderate compressive force is provided between the container and the sealing member to reach an effective hermetic seal.

  The container closure assembly of the present invention preferably further includes a stop surface protruding into one of the container neck and the closure skirt. This stop surface contacts the second stop site or screw segment on the other side of the container neck or sealing member to prevent the sealing member from being overtightened on the container neck beyond a predetermined sealing angular position. . By means of the stop means as well as the locking means, the sealing member will be reliably screwed to the exact correct extent to obtain a pressure tight seal by the sealing means of the present invention.

Suitable locking and stopping means for the assembly of the present invention are described in detail in WO91 / 18799 and WO95 / 05322 and WO2005 / 058720. The relevant parts of these publications are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
The container closure assembly preferably includes a tamper-evident prevention mechanism. The prevention mechanism preferably comprises a tamper-evident ring which is initially molded integrally with the bottom end of the skirt of the container sealing member by one or more breakable bridges. When the sealing member is first removed from the neck, the tamper-proof ring is provided by an abutment with the lower half of the annular residual lip formed on the container neck, preferably on the container neck below the screw. Remains.

  In one embodiment, the tamper proof ring comprises a plurality of integrally molded flexible radially inward remaining tabs that remain below the remaining lip. In this embodiment, a ratchet-type convex portion may be provided on the container neck and below the annular remaining lip. The ratchet type convex part is arranged at intervals around the circumference of the container neck and prevents the tamper-resistant ring on the container neck from being turned in the loosening direction, and the tamper-resistant ring is detached from the neck. Help. The structure and operation of the tamper proof mechanism of these embodiments is described and claimed in our International Publication No. WO 94/11267. All of the contents of this publication are hereby incorporated by reference.

The torque required to clamp the sealing member on the container neck in the sealed position is preferably less than 1.2 Nm, more preferably less than 1 Nm, and most preferably about 0.7 to about 0.9 Nm. . This torque is necessary to engage the complementary locking means (if any) in the sealed position, or otherwise substantially avoids gas leaks at normal carbonated beverage pressure differentials. It is the power required for
The sealing pressure around the at least one annular surface between the container neck and the sealing member in the fully clamped position of the assembly is preferably in the temperature range of about 0 ° C. to about 40 ° C., about 0 to about 1.2 MPa gauge. It is preferred to achieve at least about 7 MPa (1,000 psi) over the pressure range of (175 psig), ie, the range covering the maximum temperature and pressure range required for carbonated beverages, and at least about 10.5 MPa (1,500 psi). ) Is preferably achieved. The assembly preferably has at least two annular seals as described above over all of the temperature and pressure ranges described above.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be further described by way of examples with reference to the following drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, this assembly consists of a container neck 1 and a sealing member 2. The sealing member 2 consists of a base 3 and an outer threaded skirt 4. The container neck 1 ends with a round, smooth surface lip 5. In the prior art hermetic assembly, this lip forms a pressure tight seal with the hatched elastic liner 6 in the prior art portion of FIG.
The container neck 1 is formed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by injection molding. The sealing member 2 is molded from polyethylene in the same manner by injection molding. The neck 1 and the sealing member 2 have integrally molded, fast rotating, steeply inclined screws with a pressure safety mechanism as described in detail in our international patent application EP-A-1446332. The entire contents of said application are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
In short, on the inside of the skirt portion 16, as shown by the chain line in FIG. 1, the first thread starting at the four points composed of four first thread segments composed of the two portions 10 and 11 is formed. is there. These thread segments extend approximately 170 ° around the skirt and adjacent thread segments overlap on the circumference of the skirt. A substantially continuous substantially helical screw gap is defined in the overlap region of the first screw segment on the skirt 4.

The container neck 10 has a second thread consisting of four short second thread segments 8, each of which is a substantially continuous helical screw that extends approximately 20 ° around the container neck.
An important feature of this assembly is the shape of the upper surface of the thread segment on the skirt of the sealing member. This is described in more detail in EP-A-1446332.
The thread segment on the skirt of the sealing member also includes a pressure safety mechanism similar to that described and claimed in our International Publication No. WO 95/05322. In short, step 9 is provided on the upper surface of the screw portion 11. Step 9 is in contact with the terminal end of the neck screw segment 8 and when the neck screw segment 8 is in contact with the top surface of the skirt screw, ie, a net force acts on the sealing member in the axial direction away from the container neck. The sealing member 2 is prevented from loosening from the neck 1 when the This contact prevents the sealing member from further loosening until the exhaust gas pressure from inside the container is substantially eliminated and the sealing member falls and the screw 8 is out of contact with the step 9. The upper surface area of the skirt thread segment 11 adjacent to step 9 has a low slope of about 6 degrees to reduce the risk of overcoming the pressure-resistant safety mechanism due to the high pressure inside the container.

  The container and sealing member assembly is further complementary on the container neck and sealing member to prevent the sealing member from loosening from a fully occluded position on the container neck unless minimal opening torque is applied. Has a stop site. The locking portions include four locking ribs 13 arranged at equal intervals on the inner circumference of the skirt 16 of the sealing member and four arranged at equal intervals on the circumference of the container neck. It consists of a holding slope. This slope consists of a radially inclined outer surface 12 and a radially projecting retaining edge 14 that contacts the rib 13 on the sealing member when the sealing member is fully engaged on the container neck. This complementary locking site can be as described in our International Publication No. WO 91/18799. The entire contents of said application are expressly incorporated herein by reference. The complementary locking site signals the user when the sealing position is reached by an audible “click” sound. Complementary locking sites prevent the sealing member from “backing-off” and are particularly advantageous for steeply inclined screws when the contents of the container are pressurized.

The skirt screw portion 10 is stopped at the end when the terminal portion of the neck screw segment 8 comes into contact with one end of the skirt portion 10 to prevent overtightening of the sealing member on the neck portion. Have
The container closure assembly further includes a tamper-evident prevention mechanism. This prevention mechanism comprises a tamper-evident ring 15 which is initially molded as an integral part of the skirt 4 of the container sealing member 2 and is joined to the skirt by a breakable bridge. The tamper-evident ring 15 has a plurality of integrally formed remaining tabs 16 facing the inside of the flexible radius. An annular retaining lip 17 is formed on the container neck 1.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the sealing member has a cylindrical sealing plug 24. The sealing member further comprises a cylindrical sealing skirt 20 that is substantially concentric with the sealing plug (measured from the base of the sealing member) and of equal height. The sealing plug 24 and the sealing skirt 20 are concentric with the threaded skirt 4 to contact and seal the sides 25, 29 of the container neck near the container lip 5. Located inside.
The sealing skirt 20 has two small annular sealing ribs 21, 22 of substantially triangular cross section on its radially inner side. The cylindrical sealing plug has two annular sealing ribs 26, 27 protruding from the radially outer surface of the sealing plug 24. The dimensions of the annular sealing ribs 26, 27 are the same as or smaller than the dimensions of the sealing ribs 21, 22 on the sealing skirt. The annular sealing ribs 26, 27 are located at substantially the same height on the base of the sealing member 2 as the corresponding annular sealing ribs 21, 22 on the sealing skirt 20, respectively.

The annular sealing rib on the sealing plug and sealing skirt has a substantially isosceles triangular cross section and has a height of about 150 micrometers in an unstressed state. However, they deform when pressed against the harder material (glass or PET) of the container neck, forming a pressure tight seal. Due to the small dimensions of the sealing ribs, a pressure tight seal can be achieved without applying a substantial force to the sealing plug to form the seal.
In use, the sealing member is fastened to the container neck as shown in FIG. Both the sealing skirt 20 and the sealing plug 24 are slightly deformed in the radial direction and anastomosed with the sealing lip. The sealing skirt and the annular sealing rib on the plug are anastomosed with the opposite sides 25, 29 of the sealing lip 5, sandwiching the lip between them at two vertically spaced locations, and concentrating the pressure on the sealing rib Forms a highly effective seal. The upper sealing ribs 22, 27 sandwich the rounded lip 5 of the container neck from both sides in place of the flexible sealing fins described in WO02 / 42171.

  Referring to FIG. 4, the sealing area of the sealing member is shown in more detail. It can be seen that the sealing skirt 20 has on its radially inner surface two concentric sealing ribs 21, 22 that are substantially triangular in cross section. In addition, the lower end 30 of the sealing skirt 20 has additional concentric sealing ribs 31 to apply a concentrated force to the container neck outer surface 25 near the lip 5 to provide a seal. The lower end of the sealing plug 24 is located at the same distance in the longitudinal direction on the base of the sealing member, and is pinched further from both sides to the container neck precisely corresponding to the corresponding profile of the sealing skirt. A further concentric sealing rib 32 is provided. These synergies provide the effect of providing a substantially symmetrical sealing jaw that grips the top of the container neck.

  Referring to the embodiment of FIG. 5, the sealing skirt and sealing plug have features similar to the embodiment of FIG. 4 to form a jaw that seals the top of the container neck near the container lip. However, the profile of the jaws is slightly different and the angle of the further concentric sealing ribs 37, 39 in each of the sealing skirt and sealing rib is more obtuse. This feature of additional concentric sealing ribs 37, 38 is suitable for certain container neck shapes and may provide certain advantages that facilitate molding of the sealing member.

  Referring to FIG. 6, the sealing skirt and sealing plug have features similar to the embodiment of FIG. 4 to form a jaw that seals the side wall of the container neck near the container lip. However, the jaw features are slightly different and the angle of the further concentric sealing ribs 42, 44 in each of the sealing skirt and sealing rib is more acute. This feature of the additional concentric sealing ribs 42, 44 is suitable for applying a localized high sealing pressure at a point where the additional sealing rib contacts the sides of the container neck.

  Referring to FIG. 7, the basic outlines of the container neck and the sealing member are the same as described above as the embodiment of FIGS. In particular, the sealing member 50 has on the outside a threaded sealing skirt 51 that engages a complementary screw on the container neck 60. The sealing member of FIG. 7 is concentric with a further threaded skirt 51 and is a cylindrical shape for sealing contact with the outer surface of the container neck near the container lip, slightly inside the threaded skirt 51. It has a sealing skirt 52. On its radially inner side, the sealing skirt 52 has two concentric sealing ribs 54, 55 that are substantially triangular in cross section and about 100 micrometers high.

The container sealing member 50 of the embodiment of FIG. 7 further includes a cylindrical sealing plug 53 that is substantially concentric with the sealing skirt 52 (measured from the base of the sealing member) and of equal height. The two annular ribs 56, 57 are on the radially outer surface of the sealing plug and the dimensions of the annular ribs 56, 57 are the same as or close to the dimensions of the sealing ribs on the sealing skirt. . The sealing skirt and the annular sealing rib on the sealing plug are each located at substantially the same height above the base of the sealing member.
In addition to these, the sealing member in the assembly of FIGS. 7 and 8 further includes two sealing fins in the form of cylindrical projections of a relatively thin wall extending concentrically from the base of the sealing member 50 to the middle of the sealing skirt 52 and sealing plug 53. 58, 59. The height of the sealing fins 58, 59 from the base of the sealing member is about half of the height of the sealing skirt and sealing plug.

  In use, the sealing member is tightened on the container neck as shown in FIG. Both the sealing skirt 52 and the sealing plug 53 can be bent slightly in the radial direction to anastomoses the lip of the container neck 60. Annular sealing ribs on the sealing skirt and sealing flag are highly effective due to the anastomoses on both sides of the neck near the neck lip, sandwiching the lip at two vertically spaced positions, and the pressure concentrated at the point of the sealing rib Form a seal. In addition, sealing fins 58, 59 contact the container lip between the sealing skirt and the sealing plug to form an additional seal.

Referring to FIG. 9, the basic features of the container neck and sealing member are the same as described above for the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3, and will not be referred to again. The assembly of FIG. 9 is fundamentally different in the configuration of the locking site that prevents the sealing member from loosening (reversely coming off) when the sealing member is tightened and in the sealed position.
In short, the locking parts are arranged at four equal intervals on the inner circumference of the four first locking projections 62 and the sealing skirt 65 arranged at equal intervals on the circumference of the container neck 63. It consists of two second locking projections 64. The convex part 62 on the container neck is located below the short screw segment 66, which is the position most difficult to notice by people who drink directly from the container neck. The locking convex portion 64 on the sealing skirt 65 is positioned at the same height as the lower end of the screw 68 on the skirt and spaced apart by about 2 mm. The locking projection 64 on the sealing skirt forms an extension of the helical screw track defined by the sealing member screw 68, and when the cap is tightened on the neck, the short screw segment 66 on the neck is The locking convex portion 64 on the sealing member can pass smoothly.

Each of the locking convex portions 62 and 64 has a substantially triangular prism shape whose major axis is parallel to the axial direction of the hermetic assembly. The height of each locking projection is about 1.5 mm, and the width of the base is about 1.5 mm. Thus, the convex portions have sufficient strength to overcome each other without permanent deformation.
Each screw segment 68 on the sealing skirt abuts the second end of one of the short screw segments 66 on the neck when the sealing member is fully tightened on the container neck, and the sealing member on the neck A portion 70 that protrudes upward in the vertical axis direction that defines a stop surface in the vertical axis direction that prevents excessive tightening is provided.

The seal configuration of the assembly of the present invention allows the sealing member to be tightened and retightened on the container neck without the need for high torque or loosely-graded screws to enhance the seal. It will be appreciated that the assembly of the present invention has at least two annular seals with high sealing pressures over the full range of temperatures and pressures normally encountered with carbonated beverage containers. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the sealing member is suitable for container necks having a rounded top lip such as a glass container neck and a plastic container neck having a rounded lip that facilitates drinking directly from the neck. The disadvantages of using a soft sealing liner inside the sealing cap have been eliminated. In particular, the sealing member of the present invention can be repeatedly fastened to the container neck without losing or diminishing the effect.
The above embodiments are described only as examples. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims.

A container neck (front view) and a sealing member (cross-sectional view) fastened to a sealing position of the neck, the left side of the sealing member showing a prior art having a sealing liner, the right side of the sealing member being the sealing means of the present invention FIG. FIG. 2 is a detailed vertical sectional view of a partial cross section with the operation region taken as a cross section of the container sealing assembly of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 loosened from the container neck. FIG. 2 is a detailed longitudinal sectional view of a partial cross section with a cross section taken as an operation area, in which the sealing member of the container sealing assembly of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 is fastened to the sealing position on the container neck. It is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional enlarged view which sees through the sealing area | region of the container sealing member of the embodiment of FIG. 2 and FIG. FIG. 5 is a partial longitudinal sectional view similar to FIG. 4, looking through the sealing region of a sealing member of a further embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a partial longitudinal sectional view similar to FIG. 4, looking through the sealing region of a sealing member of a further embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a partial longitudinal sectional view looking through a sealing region of a sealing member of a further embodiment of the present invention in which the sealing member is loosened from the container neck. FIG. 8 is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view looking through the embodiment of FIG. 7 with the sealing member fully tightened on the container neck (shown in dashed lines). FIG. 6 shows a container neck (front view and partial cross-sectional view) and a sealing member (cross-sectional view) clamped in a sealed position in the neck of a further assembly of the present invention.

Claims (18)

A container neck having an opening at one end and a side wall defining a lip extending around the opening;
A sealing member for the general neck, the sealing member comprising a base and a threaded skirt;
The first thread on the neck;
A second thread on the inner surface of the threaded skirt of the sealing member;
The first and second threads are arranged such that the user can tighten, remove and retighten the sealing member into a sealed position on the neck by rotating the cap on the neck. Is;
A sealing plug extending substantially concentrically from the base inside the sealing member to the skirt portion of the sealing member, the sealing plug being two or more annular sealing ribs spaced longitudinally on its outer surface And the rib anastomoses with the inner surface of the container neck near the lip when the sealing member is clamped to the container neck; and the sealing plug and the threaded skirt of the sealing member from the base of the sealing member A sealing skirt extending substantially concentrically with the threaded skirt of the sealing plug and the sealing member in the middle of the part, two sealing skirts spaced longitudinally on its inner surface Or more annular sealing ribs that anastomose with the outer surface of the container neck near the lip when the sealing member is clamped to the container neck;
Here, two of the sealing ribs on the sealing plug are arranged so that the distance from the base of the sealing member is substantially the same as two of the annular sealing ribs on the sealing skirt in use. This allows the container neck lip to seal ribs on the sealing plug and sealing skirt at two or more longitudinally spaced positions when the sealing member is in the container neck sealing position. A container sealing assembly comprising:   The container closure assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sealing ribs has a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape.   The container closure assembly of claim 1, wherein the height of at least one of the sealing ribs is in the range of 10 to 250 micrometers.   The container closure assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the container lip is rounded in a longitudinal section.   5. A container closure assembly according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the sealing plug and the annular sealing rib on the sealing skirt sandwiches the rounded container lip from both sides.   6. A container closure assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the height of the sealing plug and the sealing skirt from the base of the sealing member is substantially equal.   7. The container closure assembly of claim 6, wherein the sealing plug and sealing skirt have features that define a symmetrical jaw for gripping the container neck.   8. The corresponding sealing skirt lower end and the end of the sealing plug from the base of the sealing member are characterized in that each sealing skirt and sealing plug is provided with an additional annular sealing rib for gripping the container neck. A container closure assembly according to any one of the preceding claims.   9. The sealing member according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the sealing member is capable of being clamped and retightened on the container neck by a single smooth rotation of 360 ° or less, preferably 180 ° or less, more preferably about 90 °. A container closure assembly according to claim 1.   The container closure assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first and second screws are multi-point start screws.   The container closure assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first and second screws are substantially continuous helical screws.   Complementary to prevent or prevent the container and sealing member from further loosening from the fully clamped position on the container neck unless a predetermined minimum opening torque is applied on the container neck and sealing member. The container sealing assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the container sealing assembly has a proper locking portion.   The complementary locking projections comprise first and second locking projections on a sealing skirt having a container neck and a screw, and the first locking projection is the upper end of the first thread. At the height position in the longitudinal direction and at a distance from each other in the circumferential direction, or the second locking projection overlaps the lower end of the second thread at the height position in the longitudinal direction and is a circle. In a circumferentially spaced position, wherein the first or second locking projection defines an extension of a screw track defined by a screw segment on the neck or on the sealing member. Item 13. The container sealing assembly according to Item 12.   One of the container neck and the sealing skirt is further in contact with a second stop site or screw segment on the container neck or the other of the sealing member, and the sealing member is placed at a predetermined sealing angle position on the container neck. 14. A container closure assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, having a protruding stop surface to prevent over tightening.   The container closure assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the torque required to clamp the closure member in a sealed position on the container neck is between about 0.7 Nm and about 0.9 Nm.   16. The assembly of claims 1-15, wherein the assembly achieves a sealing pressure of at least 7 MPa (1,000 psi) about at least one of the annular surfaces between the container neck and the sealing member in a fully sealed position. A container closure assembly according to any one of the preceding claims.   A beverage container comprising the container sealing assembly according to any one of claims 1-16.   The beverage container of claim 17, which is a carbonated beverage container.

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