PT1940692E - Device for closing a container neck, container equipped with same and method for making same - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a device whereof the skirt (12) is provided with a weakened peripheral zone (16), ruptured when the device is first opened and on either side of which the skirt includes a first portion (14) adapted to be released from the neck after the weakened zone has been ruptured and a second portion (15) provided with a tab (17) projecting from the inner surface of the skirt towards the first portion of the skirt and adapted, at its free end (17B) to abut against an associated shoulder (8) of the neck (2) so as to maintain the second portion of the skirt around the neck when the device is first opened. To ensure a more resistant and more reliable retention of the second portion of the skirt, the tab has, in a longitudinal cross-section, a substantially curved shaped, its convex part facing the first portion of the skirt.

Description

ΕΡ 1 940 692 / ΡΤ

A device for capping a container neck, container equipped with such a device and method of manufacturing such a device. The present invention relates to a device for capping a container neck and a container equipped with such a device, as well as to a method of manufacturing such a device. The invention more particularly relates to devices including a skirt that envelops the neck of a container, that a lower portion, when it is considered that this neck extends vertically with its facing facing up, is intended to remain around of the neck after the first opening of the device, while the remainder of the skirt, i.e. its upper part, is provided removable relative to the neck, being initially attached to the non-removable lower part of the skirt by an adapted weakening zone to be ruptured upon first opening of the device. This breakable area serves as proof of the first use of the device for the consumer's attention, while the non-removable skirt part, in particular when it has a substantial length, can be used for aesthetic purposes as a cover for the corresponding area of the neck. In this regard, the invention applies in particular but not exclusively to the field of the packaging of wines and high alcoholic beverages in glass bottles whose neck is traditionally applied by a long skirt in the non-removable lower part.

To retain the lower skirt portion about the neck, it is known to abut an inner flange of this skirt portion with an associated thickened portion of the neck. In the case where this skirt portion is of a substantial length, that is to say extends lengthwise downwardly beyond the aforesaid thickened region of the neck, it is common to provide the retention projection in the form of a peel- / ΡΤ tongue integrally formed with the running portion of that skirt part. An example of this type of skirt is shown schematically in Fig. 7, in which the skirt comprises an upper portion 101 separated from its lower portion 102 by a breakable weakening line 103 shown solely in dotted position. The lower part 102 is provided with a pawl 104 of the above evoked type, which extends so as to protrude from the inner face of the part 102 towards the upper part 101. When the first opening of the capping device including the skirt, the user pulls up the top 101 as indicated by the arrow 105, which tends to cause the line 103 to rupture, while the catch 104 tends to retain the bottom 102 about a container neck 106 abutting against a transverse shoulder 107 of this neck.

However, in practice, the retention of the skirt part 102 is not always effectively ensured by the pawl 104 because, due to the stresses applied to it, associated with the drag 105 of the skirt part 101, and / or due to the dispersion of the dimensions of the different necks on which the skirt is susceptible of being placed, the pawl yields before the complete rupture of the line 103, turning on itself. Thus, as shown in Fig. 7, the pawl then passes from its initial, full-face shape, the cross-section of which is substantially rectangular, to a curved downwardly curved shape, shown in dotted outline, while the skirt portion 102 is drawn together with the portion 101 upwardly relative to the neck 106. With this curved shape curved downwardly, the pawl does not offer any vertical resistance to the shoulder 107, although the latter follows the deformation of the pawl, to tilt down in a position shown in the dashed line in Fig. 7, whereby the connecting zone between the tongue and the skirt part 102 forms a kind of flexible hinge not shown. The tendency of the pawl 104 to yield under the stresses generated upon first opening of the device often occurs when the skirt consists of a plastic material which, due to its relative structural flexibility, deforms radially outwards at the level of 3 ΕΡ 1 940 692 / ΡΤ tongue, as indicated by the arrow 108. This problem is likewise more marked in the case where the skirt is obtained by molding, with mold output, with its tongue 104 protruding from the mold. inner side of the skirt down. Indeed, in this case, prior to placing the capping device including the skirt about the neck 106, it is necessary to bounce up the pawl 104 so that it takes its initial configuration shown in planar stroke in Fig. 7, which implies deforming, in the manner of a hinge, the area of connection between this pawl and the portion 102. By elasticity, the pawl then tends more readily to sag when the first opening of the device is returned, in order to return to its mold outlet configuration , corresponding approximately to the configuration represented in mixed path.

Other examples of internally fitted skirts of one or more retention tabs are given in EP-A-0 410 059, US-A-5 129 530 and US-A-5 007 545. The tabs contemplated in these documents all appear under the shape of a segment of material which derives from the inner face of the skirt and folded about itself angularly in its running portion, along a fold line orthodontic to the central longitudinal axis of the skirt. Thus, this segment is constituted by a lower part connected to the skirt by a flexible hinge region, and by a free end part connected to the base part hingedly along the fold line. In practice, the angled fold line is accomplished by a suitable conformation of the pawl from a rectilinear configuration of this hinge, obtained at the end of the molding and analogous to the patterned outlet pattern of the mold shown in Fig. 7.

When the first capping devices proposed in the three pre-set documents are first opened, the tongues are deformed by folding the free end portions into the base parts along the fold lines defined by the polygonal shape of the sections of these tongues. It follows that only the free end portions of the tongues effectively participate in the retention of the skirt portion intended to be fixed around the container neck, with the risks of these end portions 4 yielding the stresses completely bent against the base parts, while these base parts generate, on a leverage around the angular fold lines, essentially radially outwardly directed stresses at the level of the flexible hinge areas ( in a manner analogous to that indicated by the arrow 108 in Fig. 7). These local stresses are such that they can cause a bleaching of the plastic material constituting the skirt, visible later on the outside of the skirt, which greatly degrades the aesthetics of the skirt, rendering it unusable in the field of the packaging of wines and beverages with high the content of alcohol whose bottles must, in principle, be beautiful. The object of the present invention is to propose a tongue cap device of the type described above which guarantees a resistant and reliable retention of the skirt part provided with this tongue without damaging the aesthetic exterior of this part of the skirt.

Indeed, the invention relates to a device for capping a neck of a container as defined in claim 1.

With the device according to the invention, and considering that the longitudinal axis of the skirt extends vertically with the first part of the skirt disposed above the second part, the or each tongue, with its curved section curved upwards, guarantees a large retention resistance of the second skirt part against the neck. When, as soon as the first opening of the device occurs, the pawl abuts axially against the associated thickened zone of the neck, the engagement force of this pawl is cushioned by its curved shape and tends to flex the pawl in order to increase the thereby increasing the resistance, until the weakening zone separating the two parts of the skirt ruptures. In other words, when the first opening of the device according to the invention is opened, the initial curved shape of the tongue causes the latter to work in accordance with a bending movement which tends to increase the curvature in this way. As the engagement of the tongue against the associated thickened zone of the neck occurs at the level of the free end of this pawl, an opposite bending movement, that is to say, it tends to decrease and then in reverse the curvature of the tongue section is mechanically impossible. It will be understood that the curved shape, which extends over the entire unfolding width of the pawl to the interior of the skirt homogeneously, i.e. without a discontinuity of curvature from its free end to its end connected to the skirt, works according to a global bending motion, by modifying the curvature of the shape assembly. In particular, the homogeneous dynamic behavior of the tongue does not allow to distinguish, according to the unfolding width of this tongue, a free end part and a base part which would have their own deformation movements different from each other.

This curved shape also has the advantage of imparting thrust forces to the part of the skirt located above the pawl, which skirt portion may be thicker and stronger than that situated below the pawl. In particular, these thrusting efforts tend to require the skirt with a moderate radial component, say negligible, which makes it possible to limit the radial deformations to the outside of the skirt at the level of the tongue, and thus reduce the risks of bleaching the material plastic.

Other advantageous features of this device, taken alone or in accordance with any of the technically possible combinations, are set out in dependent claims 2 to 11. The invention further relates to a container having a neck provided with a device for capping this neck as defined above. The invention furthermore relates to a method of manufacturing a container neck capping device as defined in claim 13. The process according to the invention thus enables the plastic skirt to be quickly disposed, which is ready to 6 ΕΡ 1 940 692 / ΡΤ be placed in place around the container neck. The different operations of this process, both the shaping of the skirt and the folding of the tongue, can be carried out according to the substantially axial movements, so that this process is in practice automated without impairing its performance.

An advantageous feature of this process is set out in claim 14. The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description given solely by way of example and made with reference to the drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of Fig. a capping device according to the invention shown around a container neck, the right half of the figure showing the device in its mounting configuration in this neck and being effectively placed in place around the neck, while the left half illustrates the device in a state prior to its configuration on the right; Fig. 2 is a larger-scale view of the circled detail II in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view analogous to Fig. 1 of a variant of the capping device according to the invention, shown applied around a container neck and before its first opening; Fig. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an external cover of the device of Fig. 3, prior to its mounting to the other components of this device; - Fig. 5 is a partial longitudinal section of the cover of Fig.

Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a view analogous to Fig. 4 of another variant of the cap of a device according to the invention; and Fig. 7 is a view analogous to Fig. 2, which illustrates a relevant example of prior art and described above. Fig.

In Figs. 1 and 2 there is shown a capping device 1 adapted to be releasably screwed onto a neck 2 of a container 3, for example a glass bottle or the like, intended to contain an alcohol, in particular wine. The neck has a generally tubular shape of longitudinal axis X-X.

For convenience, the following description will be directed considering that the terms "upper" and "above" correspond to a direction generally parallel to the axis XX and going from the body of the container 3 to its neck 2, that is to say a direction facing the part from the top of Figs. 1 and 2, whereas the terms 'lower' and 'down' correspond to an opposite direction. The same conventions will be used with respect to Figs. 3 to 6.

At its upper end, the neck 2 delimits a shell 4 at the level of which the liquid contained in the vessel 3 is to be poured. The outer face of the neck is successively provided at the top and bottom with a screw thread 5 and a collar 6, both radially outwardly projecting. At the level of the transition between the lower end of this collar and the remainder of the neck, which forms an elongate neck 7 of the frustoconical outer face of the axis XX and diverging downwards, a transverse shoulder 8 is formed slightly inclined upwardly that moves away from the axis XX in relation to a plane perpendicular to this axis. The capping device 1 comprises three separate parts, namely an outer cap 10, an insert 20 and an optional sealing disc 30, which are to be coaxially mounted relative to one another and then to be assembled together on the neck 2. The cap 10 and the insert 20 each have a generally tubular longitudinal axis shape substantially confused with the axis XX when the device 1 is assembled and applied on the neck 2 as in the figures. The lid and the insert are each open at its lower end and closed at their upper end by the respective bottom walls 11 and 21 at the periphery of each of which extends axially downwardly a tubular skirt 12, 22 centered on the axis XX. The insert 20 is adapted to be inserted into the interior of the cap 10 and thereby to be fixedly fixed, both axially and in rotation about the X-X axis. These two pieces then form a continuous cap 40, with the wall 11 and the skirt 12 overlapping the outer face of the wall 21 and the skirt 22. The immobilization of the insert within the cap can be carried out by welding, in particular by application of ultra , by gluing or by complementary shapes between the walls 11, 12, 21 and 22, as detailed in the French patent application filed in the name of the present Applicant and registered under the number 04 03154. The sealing disk 30 is housed inside the insert 20, against the bottom wall 21, with possible interposition of an adhesive layer. Advantageously, the insert is provided with notches 23 which protrude radially inwardly from the top of its skirt 22, its notches being intended to hold the disc axially downwardly so as to prevent the latter from being able to subsequently escape, the inside of the insert. The embodiments of these notches are given in the abovementioned French patent application No. 04 03154. The underside of the inner face of the skirt 22 is provided with a thread 24 which protrudes radially inwardly and complementary to the outer thread 5 of the neck 2, so that the cap 40 is able to be screwed and unscrewed from the neck. To facilitate grasping by the hand of this lid, the upper part of the outer face of the skirt 12 is advantageously provided with longitudinal grooves 13. The skirt 12 is longer than the skirt 22 so that, in the assembled state of the device 1, the lower portion of the skirt 12 extends well below the axial level of the corner of the lower end 25 of the insert 20 so as to cover the neck 2 from its shell 4 to its neck 7 included.

Upon first opening of the device 1, the skirt 12 is adapted to separate into two distinct parts of approximately the same length, namely an upper part 14, integrally formed with the bottom wall 11, and a lower part 15 initially connected to top 14 by a weakening line 16 shown schematically in dotted outline in Figs. 1 and 2. This line 16 is provided in the running part of the skirt 12, a little below, along the axis XX, at the level of the corner of the lower end 25 of the insert 20, so that the skirt part 14 only houses in it the whole of the insert 20 when the device 1 is assembled.

In practice, the weakening line 16 is, for example, constituted by cuttable points or of several indentations or circumferential cuts practiced through the wall of the skirt 12.

To cause separation of the skirt portions 14 and 15 by rupturing the line 16 when the first opening of the device 1, the lower part 15 is retained axially relative to the neck 2 by a tongue 17 integrally formed with the running part of this part 15, and protruding from the inner face of this part 15. In the direction of the axis XX, the pawl extends upwardly when the device 1 is in its mounting configuration in the neck 2, as shown in the part right side of Fig. 1, whereas, when this device is in its previously shown configuration in the left-hand part of Fig. 1, the tongue extends downwardly. The thickness of the tongue 17, i.e. its smaller dimension in the plane of Figs. 1 and 2 is substantially constant along its other dimension, which corresponds to its expansion width inwards with respect to the inner face of the skirt part 15, that is to say between its connecting end 17A with the wall of skirt 15 and its free end 17B. In radial section to the X-X axis, ie in the plane of Figs. 1 and 2, the pawl 17 does not have a rectangular, but curved, upwardly curved section 10E-1 940 692 /. Thus, in this plane, the pawl 17 has an arcuate profile, which corresponds approximately to an eighth of a circle, it being noted that the curvature of the pawl 17 is oriented towards the axis XX and downwards in Figure 1, that is to say the body of the container 3. It is emphasized that Figs. 1 and 2, as well as Figs. 3 to 6 which are considered further away, which illustrate well the curved shape according to the invention, are of a schematic nature with respect to the precise dimensions of the tongue. Where necessary, the person skilled in the art will refer to the indications given in this text to quantify the relative dimensions of the tongue.

In other words, the upper face of the tongue 17 is essentially convex while its lower face is essentially concave. More precisely, the free end 17B and the tongue portion 17C have, on the one hand, respective upper convex faces and, on the opposite side, respective concave bottom faces, while their end 17A has opposite faces that change direction of curvature due to its connection to the skirt part 15. The axial positioning of the pawl 17 along the skirt part 15, as well as their dimensioning, is provided so that, when the device 1 is in the assembled configuration, and in that this device is applied around the neck 2, the end 17B of the pawl is situated at the level of the shoulder 8. In practice, according to the exact dimensions of the neck 2, namely at the level of its collar 6 and its shoulder 8, and of the device 1, the end 17B of the pawl is located immediately below the shoulder 8, being in simple contact with this shoulder, with tight functional clearances. The cap 10 is made of a semi-rigid plastic material, such as polypropylene or polyethylene, polypropylene being preferred, for example for aesthetic reasons. The cap 10 is obtained by molding this plastic material, provided to form at the same time the bottom wall 11 and the skirt 12, in particular with its tongue 17 molded according to its curved shape. The detachment of the cap is facilitated by providing that the pawl extends at the outlet of the mold in its state shown in the left-hand side of FIG. 1, that is to say with its free end 17B facing downwards. The assembly of the capping device 1 consists, before or after insertion of the disc 30 into the insert 20, in placing this insert within the skirt 12 of the cap 10 in its mold-out state described above, by inserting this insert axially and forcefully from the open lower end of the cap. The tool enabling this placement advantageously then assists in folding the tongue 17 upwardly so that it passes in its state shown in the right-hand part of Figure 1. The device 1 is then in its mounting configuration in the neck 2. The cap 40, formed by the insert 20 immobilized on the cap 10, is then applied by screwing about the neck 2 until, on the one hand, the catch 17 passes under the shoulder 8 of the neck and, on the other hand, the sealing disk 30 is axially pressed between the shell 4 and the bottom wall 21 of the insert, the lower face of the disk delimiting advantageously an annular hollow impression 31 complementary to the shell. The skirt 12 then covers the neck up to its neck 7.

To open the device 1, the user unscrews the cap 40, that is to say, drags it so as to rotate about the axis XX, catching it at the level of the grooves 13. When the first opening of the device, , which results from its unscrewing and indicated by the arrow 50 in Fig. 2, causes the two skirt parts 14 and 15 to be separated by breaking of the weakening line 16. In effect, when the upper part 14 is drawn upwards, the part lower portion 15 is axially retained by its tongue 17 in axial abutment against the shoulder 8 of the neck 2. The bulging shape upwardly of the tongue section causes, by the effect of the lifting 50, a flexing of the tongue so that its curvature increases, thus the tongue of its initial curved configuration shown in full drawing in Fig. 2, for a more bent configuration shown in Fig. The corresponding flexing of the pawl, facing outwards and upwards as indicated by the arrow 51, requires, at the level of the lug end 17B, sufficient axial stress to break the line 16. In other words, this flexing allows to absorb the effort required to retain the skirt portion 15 facing the shoulder 8 until the line 16 ruptures.

It is understood that the curved shape of the pawl leads to overall flexing of the pawl, the pawl working flexibly homogenously over its entire length of unfolding. The homogeneity of the dynamic behavior of the tongue is accentuated by the continuous arcuate profile of this curved shape. In practice, the discontinuities of the tongue curvature are to be avoided: variations limited to + 15% around a mean curvature value, according to the unfolding width of the tongue, are preferred.

Likewise, it is understood that the thickness constancy of the tongue participates in the dynamic homogeneity effect. In practice, variations limited to ± 10% around a medium thickness value, according to the unfolding width of the tongue, are preferred.

As the pawl 17 has a curvature oriented towards the axis XX and downwards, the added flexion of the pawl, when lifting the skirt 12 before the breakage of the line 16, otherwise tends to advantageously homogenize its curvature after its width between its end 17B and its running portion 17C.

Among other things, the thrust forces imparted to the skirt 12 are mainly at the level of the portion 15A of the portion 15 lying between the line 16 and the pawl 17. This portion 15A has a thickness greater than the thickness e'is of the portion 15B of the part 15 positioned opposite the line 16 relative to the catch 17, that is to say the portion situated below the catch 17 in the configuration of Figs. 1 and 2 which corresponds to the normal configuration of use of the container 3. 13 ΕΡ 1 940 692 / ΡΤ

It is shown in Figs. 3 to 5 a variant 100 of the capping device 1 of Figs. 1 and 2, applied around the neck 2 of the container 3. For convenience, the constituents common to the devices 1 and 100 bear the same numerical reference. The device 100 essentially differs from the device 1 by the constitution of its retaining means of the skirt part 15: instead of having a single pawl, such as the pawl 17, which extends continuously over the entire inner periphery of this skirt part, the skirt 12 of the device 100 is provided with a plurality of vanes 171 integrally formed with a band 172 common to all vanes, which vane is itself integrally formed with the running portion of the skirt part 15. The belt 172 extends, in the direction of the axis XX, protruding from the inner face 12A of the skirt 12, at the level of the part 15, continuously running over the entire inner periphery of this skirt, as can be seen in Figs. 4 and 5.

The vanes 171 are identical to each other. Each reed extends in the direction of the X-X axis so as to protrude from the web 172. For structural reasons, these vanes are advantageously spread out substantially uniformly in accordance with the inner periphery of the web. The web 172 thus connects each of the vanes to the inner face 12A of the skirt 12, at the level of the skirt portion 15, allowing a clearance 173 between two successive vanes according to the periphery of the web. Each portion of the web 172 from which one of the vanes 171 extends and the associated vane forms a latching pawl 170 of the skirt portion 15, functionally analogous to a portion of the catch 17 of Figs. 1 and 2.

The thickness ei72 of the band 172, i.e. its smaller dimension in the plane of Figs. 3 and 5 is substantially constant according to its two other dimensions, namely, in the above-mentioned plane, between its connecting end 172A with the skirt part 15 and its end 172B which is either connected to one of the vanes 171, either free at the level of the interspaces 173. The thickness ei7i of each vane is likewise constant, namely between its end 171a of connection with the inner end 172B 14 ΕΡ 1 940 692 / ΡΤ of the web and its free end 171B. Among other things, to facilitate the molding and demolding of the web and vanes together with those of the remainder of the skirt 12, the thicknesses e1 and i and e2 are substantially the same.

Between its inner ends 172A and outer 172B, the web 172 has an inwardly extending width I172, relative to the inner face 12A of the skirt 12, smaller than the size li71 of each blade 171 between its inner ends 171A and the outer edge 171B , i.e. in the inwardly unfolding width of that vane relative to the end 172B of the web. The web 172 and each vane 171 extend in continuous extension from one another in the direction of the X-axis X, in the plane of Figs. 3 and 5. In the configuration of Fig. 3, which corresponds to a mounting configuration in the neck 2, the band and the vanes extend upwardly towards the X-X axis, whereas, in the configuration previously shown in Figs. 4 and 5, which corresponds to a molding configuration, the web and the vanes extend downward, for the same reasons as those quoted above for the device 1. In the two configurations, each of the vanes, with their the associated band portion, that is to say, each of the tongues 170 has, in the plane of Figs. 3 and 5, a curved, bulged up overall section. In the example shown, each pawl 170 has an arcuate profile, which corresponds approximately to one-eighth of a circle. Thus, the web and vanes ensure a large retention resistance of the skirt part 15 relative to the neck 2 when the first opening of the device 1, causing its curved profile to work over the entire unfolding width according to a movement of which tends to further increase the curvature of this profile, as explained above for the device 1. The assembly of the capping device 100 is analogous to that of the device 1, namely with the drag of the web 172 and the vanes 171 upwards , so that the tongues 170 pass into their assembly configuration of Fig. 3. During the upward drag of the web and the vanes, significant stresses are applied to the web and vanes in a manner to flex, in the manner of a flap, the end 172A of the web attached to the skirt portion 15, as indicated by the arrow 172C in Fig. 5. The non-negligible voltages are also applied the area of material connecting the web and the wall of the skirt 12 during the demolding of the skirt. All these stresses are of higher intensity at the level of the vanes 171 than at the level of the free spaces 173 because of the structural resistance which the vanes oppose. However, in order to avoid excess stresses within these vanes and especially within the portions of the strip connecting radially each of the vanes in the skirt, the strip allows the distribution of these stresses, in particular within the remaining portions of the strip , that is to say within the portions which open radially in one of the free spaces 173. The risks of the areas of the plastic material thus requested are thus limited, in particular the area of the outer surface of the skirt part 15 at the end 172A of the band, to be altered by an excess of tensions, in particular that these zones become white.

As the web 172 extends continuously over the entire inner periphery of the skirt 12, the stresses in the plastic material are distributed substantially evenly over the entire peripheral contour of the web, even if the resultant of the web-bending drag is slightly out of phase in relation to the XX axis.

In the example considered in the figures, the stripping width li72 of the strip is less than the de-folding width li7i of the vanes. However, in practice, according to the levels of stresses expected to be achieved by the release of the skirt and the folding of the vanes, the ratio of these widths can be adjusted. The opening of the device 100 is analogous to that of the device 1, in particular with regard to the work in overall flexing of the tongues 170.

It will be understood that various arrangements and variants may be contemplated with the capping devices 1 and 100 16 Ρ 1 940 692 / ΡΤ described above as well as their manufacturing process. By way of example: - unlike the example of Figs. 1 and 2, in which the tongue 17 extends continuously over the entire inner periphery of the skirt portion 15, a variant 200 of the device 1, shown in Fig. 6, consists of extending the pawl in a discontinuous manner along this periphery, which causes the arrangement of several distinct elementary tongues 270, advantageously evenly distributed along the inner periphery of the skirt 12; each pawl 270 is thus functionally analogous to a portion of the pawl 17 or one of the pawls 170, and it has been emphasized that, unlike the pawls 270, each pawl 270 extends from its end 270A attached to the inside face of the skirt to their free end 270B, without being connected to each other by a common or analogous peripheral band, such as the band 171; - to limit the risks of the tongue or each tongue 17, 170, 270 becoming radially fixed vertically between the collar 6 of the neck 2 and the skirt part 15 when the first opening of the capping device, in particular if the tongue the collar 12 is provided with a smaller diameter than is provided due to a wide dispersion of the dimensions of the bottlenecks of the same batch, the skirt 12 is internally provided with a plurality of bosses 19 which extend radially protruded from the inner face of the skirt part 15 and distributed substantially uniformly along the inner periphery of that part of the skirt; in the case of the multiple tongues 170 or 270, each groove 19 is situated, at the periphery of the skirt, at the same level as one of its tongues; according to the axis XX, each groove is situated between the weakening line 16 and the end 17A, 172A, 270A of the pawl connected to the skirt, being disposed substantially at the height of the free end 17B, 171B, 270B of the pawl when it is considered that the pawl is placed against the inner face of the skirt, with its free end facing upwardly; the free end 17B, 171B, 270B of the or each pawl 17, 170, 270 is held radially far from the inner face of the skirt 12 by engagement of the boss 19, which improves the reliability of the axially abutting that end free movement against the shoulder 8 of the collar 17 ΕΡ 1 940 692 / ΡΤ of the neck when first opening the device, in particular with respect to the bulging of the flap facing the boss 19 which, when necessary, interferes with the boss quickly when the first opening; this arrangement is more effective than providing an overhang of the free end of the pawl, thereby facilitating molding and demolding of the cap; - the folding of the tongue 17 or the tongues 170 or 270, from its state leaving the mold to its state associated with the mounting configuration of the device in the neck, can be performed by a specific tool independent of that used for placing the insert 20 in the cap 10; - more important than providing the cap 40 in two distinct parts to be fixed in order to fix one to the other, this cap can be realized in a single monoblock piece, with a skirt that has a weakening line and one or several fingers analogous to the line 16 and to the tongue 17 of the device 1 or to the tongues 170 or 270 of the device 100, 200; and / or the lower part 15 of the skirt 12 may extend only over a reduced height, downwards in Figs. 1 and 3, below the tongue 17 or the tongues 170, 270; the part 15 can even be stopped immediately below this or these tongues; by other terms, portion 15B may be too short, in fact non-existent.

Lisbon, 2010-08-04

Claims (14)

A device (1; 100; 200) for capping a neck (2) of a container (3), comprising an elongate skirt (12) of plastic material, designed to surround the container (16) which is adapted to be ruptured upon first opening of the device and on either side of which, following the longitudinal axis (XX) of the skirt, this skirt comprises a first portion (14) of the skirt ) adapted to be separated from the neck after the weakening zone has ruptured, and a second part (15) provided with at least one pawl (17; 170; 270) which, in an assembly configuration of the device in the neck, to protrude from the inner face of the skirt towards the first skirt part and being adapted, at the level of its free end (17B; 171B; 270B), to abut against an associated thickened area (8) of the neck, in order to retain the second part of skirt around the gargal when the first opening of the device, characterized in that, in the assembly configuration of the device (1) in the neck (2), the or each pawl (17; 170; 270) has a substantially curved shape, in a longitudinal cross-sectional plane of the skirt (12), which is curved towards the first skirt part (14) and has an arcuate profile. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said arcuate profile corresponds to approximately one-eighth of a circle. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the essentially curved shape of the or each pawl (17; 170; 270) has a width and an extension in relation to the inner face of the skirt (12). substantially constant curvature. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the variations of said curvature according to the unfolding width of the or each pawl (17; 170; 270) are limited to + 15% of a mean curvature value. ΕΡ 1 940 692 / ΡΤ 2/4 Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the or each pawl (17; 170; 270) has a substantially constant thickness in the longitudinal section plane of the skirt (12). Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the variations of said thickness according to the unfolding width of the or each pawl (17; 170; 270) relative to the inner face of the skirt (12) are limited to ± 10% of an average thickness value. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, when the first opening of the device (1; 100; 200), the or each pawl (17; 170; 270) is adapted to flex between two extreme configurations, in each of which the tongue retains, in a longitudinal section plane of the skirt 12, its essentially curved and bulged shape for the first skirt part 14. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the or each pawl (17; 170; 270) is integrally formed with the inner face of the skirt (12) and is able to pass, in relation to the skirt, a configuration in which the tongue is molded together with the remainder of the skirt, into the assembly configuration of the device (1) in the neck (2) which is different from the molding configuration. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a single pawl (17) is provided, which extends over the entire inner periphery of the second skirt part (15). A device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a number of elementary tongues (270) are provided in a discontinuous manner along the inner periphery of the second skirt part (15), these elementary tongues being advantageously distributed in a substantially uniform manner according to this periphery. ΕΡ 1 940 692 / ΡΤ 3/4 Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second skirt part (15) is internally provided with at least one boss (19) of radial interposition between this skirt part and the free end (17B; 270B) of the or each pawl (17; 170; 270) in the mounting configuration. A container (3) having a neck (2) and provided with a device (1; 100; 200) for capping said neck according to any one of the preceding claims. A method of manufacturing a device (1; 100; 200) for capping a container neck (2), in which: - a plastic material is molded in the form of an elongate skirt (12) designed to surround the neck and provided with a peripheral weakening zone (16) which is adapted to be ruptured when the first opening of the device and on either side of which, along the longitudinal axis (XX) of the skirt, this skirt comprises a first portion (14) adapted to be separated from the neck after the weakening zone has ruptured, and a second part (15) provided with at least one pawl (17; 170; 270) which, at the exit of the mold, extends so as to protrude from the inner face of the skirts in a direction opposite the first skirt part (14); (17; 170; 270) towards the first skirt part (14), until the tongue extends from the inner face of the skirt, towards the first part of the skirt (14). (17B; 171B; 270B) for abutment against an associated thickened portion (8) of the neck (2), in order to retain the second skirt part (15) around the neck when the first opening of the device (1), characterized in that, when shaping the skirt (12), the or each pawl (17; 170; 270) is shaped so as to present, in a longitudinal cutting plane of the a substantially curved shape which is curved to the first skirt part (14) and having an arcuate profile. A method according to claim 13, characterized in that there is provided an insert (20) adapted to be integral with the interior of the skirt (12) to form at least in part the capping device (1), and (17; 170; 270) when inserting said insert into the skirt. Lisbon, 2010-08-04