US3057501A

US3057501A - Bottle cap construction

Info

Publication number: US3057501A
Application number: US70264A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fred P Kroenert
Original assignee: LORE KROENERT
Current assignee: LORE KROENERT
Priority date: 1960-11-18
Filing date: 1960-11-18
Publication date: 1962-10-09
Anticipated expiration: 1979-10-09

Description

Oct. 9, 1962 F. P. KROENERT 3,057,501

BOTTLE CAP CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 1e, 1960 f /5 Andrus Strke T ffforneys W FredRKrsLTz/:T

\ f' i .6. BY

United States Patent O ice 3,057,501 BOTTLE CAP CONSTRUCTION Fred P. Kroenert, Brookfield, Wis., assigner of one-half to Lore Kroenert, Brookfield, Wis. Filed Nov. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 70,264 8 Claims. (Cl. 21S-39) This invention relates to a 'bottle cap construction and more particularly to a plastic insert for a metal bottle cap.

The conventional type of bottle cap structure includes an outer metal cap and a cork insert. In the sealing operation, the cork insert is forced against the upper edge of the bottle and the skirt or flange on the metal cap is then crimped around the bead at the upper end of the bottle to clamp the cap to the bottle. The cork inserts which are commonly used have several disadvantages in that the cork, being `a wood product, is subject to deterioration or decomposition after extended periods of shelf life. Furthermore, the cork, being porous, is often contaminated with other `foreign particles. For example, in the registering operation in a bottle sealing process, great quantities of bottle caps are dumped into a container and the caps are moved through an aligning apparatus which aligns or registers the same for sealing. In the bulk container the sharp edges of the flanges of the caps often scrape olf the laquer on adjacent caps, and the lacquer particles penetrate into the porous cork inserts and subsequently may contaminate the material within the bottle. To eliminate these problems, the cork inserts, in many cases, have been lined with a metal foil, such as aluminum foil, which provides a smooth, nontoxic surface.

The present invention is directed to a plastic insert for a bottle cap which is sanitary and nontoxic and provides a greater sealing action for the bottle. The plastic insert can be used with either the standard type of metal cap or other newly developed metal caps which operate on the lever arm principle to provide the sealing action.

More specifically, the plastic insert is disposed within the metal cap and includes an annular flange which extends outwardly of the cap. The outer peripheral surface of the ange is tapered and is adapted to be wedged within the opening in the bottle. In addition to the wedge surface, an annular lip is provided on the insert which is spaced radially outward yfrom the flange. The lip is substantially smaller in axial depth than the flange and is adapted to be engaged by the upper edge of the bottle and dellected inwardly to provide a secondary seal with the bottle.

With the present insert, the internal pressure within the bottle acts to force the annular flange radially outward into sealing engagement with the inner surface of the neck of the bottle and the annular lip provides a second seal or corking action which further increases the sealing characteristics of the insert.

The plastic insert which is made out of a flexible plastic, such as polyethylene, is nontoxic and sanitary and will not deteriorate or absorb foreign matter.

As the insert includes the ange which is to be wedged within the opening of the bottle and also includes the annular lip which serves to provide a corking action, the sealing effect of the plastic insert is substantially greater than that of presently used inserts. Due to this increased sealing effect, a smaller force can be applied to the bottle at the time of sealing and therefore the bottles can be thinner and less costly. Furthermore, as the insert itself provides some holding action due to the wedging surface, a thinner metal cap can be used than in the conventional construction in which the cap itself provides the entire holding action.

Other objects and advantages will appear in 4the course of the following description.

'3,057,501 Patented Oct. 9, 196.2

The drawings illustrate the ybest mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a transverse section showing the plastic insert of the invention; I

FIG. 2 is a bottom elevation of the insert;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section showing the insert disposed within the cap prior to sealing;

FIG. 4 is a transverse section Ishowing the cap sealed on the bottle;

FIG. 5 is a transverse section showing the plastic insert disposed within a modified form of metal cap; and

FIG. 6 is a top view of the structure shown in FIG. 5.1'

The drawings illustrate a flexible plastic insert 1 which is disposed within a metal bottle cap 2 and is ad-apted to close olf or seal the opening in a bottle 3.

The insert 1 is 'adapted to be formed of a non-toxic, relatively ilexible plastic such a polyethylene, polyvinylcloride, polypropylene, or the like. However, any type of the common thermoplastic resins which are non-toxic and will not react with, or be decomposed by, the contents of the bottle can be used for the insert 1.

As best shown in FIG. l, the insert 1 includes a generally flat, central base portion 4 which is adapted to be disposed against the inner surface 5 of the cap 2. An annular flange 6 extends axially from the base 4 and the llange includes an inner wall 7 and a tapered outer wall 8 which is connected to the inner wall 7. The outer Wall 8, being tapered, provides a wedge surface and is adapted to engage the inner surface of the neck of the bottle to provide a seal lfor the opening in the bottle. The angle of taper A, as shown in FIG. 1, is in the range of 3 to 10 with about 5 being preferred.

In addition to the flange 6, the insert 1 is also provided with an annular lip 9 which is disposed radially outward of the iiange 6. As shown in FIG. 1, Ithe lip has a sturdy root portion yand has a substantially smaller axial depth than the flange 6. In the sealing position, the lip 9 is adapted to be engaged by the upper edge of the bottle 3 and is thereby deflected inwardly. The flexibility of the plastic serves to bias the lip outwardly into tight sealing engagement with the bottle 3 and thereby provide a secondary seal or a corking action. If, for some reason, the internal pressure breaks the seal between the wedge surface 8 and the bottle 3, the secondary seal between' the lip 9 and the bottle will prevent leakage. I

The insert 1 is also provided with a generally at rim 10 which extends radially outward from the lip 9, and terminates at the flange or skirt 11`of the cap 2. As best seen in FIG. 1, the rim 10 is offset from the plane of the base 4. With this construction, when the insert is brought into contact with the upper edge of the bottle during the sealing action, the force applied to the cap will be applied to the base 4, thereby serving to move the flange 6 outwardly into tight engagement with the inner surface of the neck of the bottle. v

As best shown in lFIG. l, the inner Wall 7 is substantially thinner than the outer wall 8 and this enables the wall 7, which is subjected to the internal pressure of the bottle in service, to be deflected outwardly by the pressure and thereby increases the sealing effect of the outer wall 8 with the bottle 3.

In the sealing operation, the insert 1 is initially assembled within the cap 2 and an adhesive can be employed if desired to bond the 'insert to the inner surface 5 of the cap. The flange 11 of cap 2 is forced against the upper end of the bottle and the skirt 11 is bent inwardly and crimped to provide a series of lips 12 which engage the lower edge of the bead 13 of the bottle to securely hold the cap to the bottle. As best shown in FIG. 4, the outer edge of the rim 10 is wrapped around the upper end of the bottle land this further increases the sealing effect.

FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrate the use of the plastic insert of the invention with a modified form of a metal cap. As shown in these figures, the cap 14 is provided with a series of radial ribs 1S which extend from the centerA of the upper surface 16 of the cap radially outward and axially down along the skirt 17. The radial ribs serve as lever arms so that when pressure is applied to the center of the upper surface 16, the ribs will tend to move the skirt outwardly to an expanded posit-ion, and conversely, when the pressure is released, the skirt will move to a contracted position.

The cap 1'4 is applied to the bottle 3 in a manner similar to that described above, the skirt being crimped inwardly to engage the lower surface of the bead 13 of the bottle.

The use of the tapered surface 8 in the plastic insert of the invention serves to take up or compensate for any variance or irregularity in the diameter of the opening in the bottle and provides a tight wedging seal between the insert and the bottle. The internal pressure within the bottle acts against the thin inner wall 7 to dcform the same outwardly and thereby increases the sealing effect with the bottle.

In addition to the sealing effect achieved by the tapered surface 8, a secondary seal is provided by the engagement of the deformable lip 9 with the upper edge of the bottle. The resiliency of the plastic tends to bias or urge the lip into tight sealing engagement with the bottle to provide an auxiliary seal or corking action.

Due to the holding or sealing action of the insert itself, thinner metal caps can be employed than in the conventional bottle caps in which the cork insert does not, in itself, provide any holding action. This can result in a 20 to 30% decrease in the weight of steel required for the cap so that the bottle cap assembly using the plastic insert of the invention is competitive pricewise with a cap construction utilizing foil-covered cork inserts.

The insert of the invention can be used with all standard caps so that the existing facilities for producing the caps need not be changed when employing the present insert. The only change which may be required in existing facilities is in the registering equipment in the sealing operation.

Similarly, as the force applied to the cap is imparted at an angle through the wedge surface against the inner surface of the neck of the bottle and not directly against the top of the bottle, the bottles can lbe of thinner construction with a resulting saving in cost.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim:

1. An insert to be used for sealing an opening in a vessel, comprising a central base section, an annular flange extending axially from the base section and adapted to be received within the opening in the vessel, said flange having a peripheral surface progressively decreasing in external diameter in a direction away from the base section, said peripheral surface adapted to wedgingly engage the inner surface of the vessel bordering the opening, and a generally resilient deformable lip disposed radially outward of the flange and having an axial depth substantially less than said flange, said lip adapted to be engaged by the upper edge of the vessel bordering the opening therein and to be deformed radially inwardly, with the resiliency of said lip urging said lip into tight sealing engagement with the upper edge of the vessel to provide a secondary seal.

2. The structure of claim l, and including a generally flat rim extending radially outward from the lip and lying in a plane offset axially from the plane of the base section.

3. An insert to be used with a bottle cap for sealing the opening in a bottle, comprising a central ybase section, a flexible generally cylindrical inner wall extending axially outward from said base section, a flexible annular outer wall connected to the outer portion of said cylindrical Wall and diverging radially outward in a direction axially inward toward the plane of the base section, said walls adapted to be inserted within the opening of the bottle and said outer wall adapted to wedgingly engage the neck of the bottle to seal the opening, a generally flat rim connected to the axially inward portion of said outer wall, and a flexible annular lip connected to said rim at a location adjacent said outer wall and having an axial length substantially less than the axial length of said outer wall, said lip adapted to be engaged by the upper edge of the bottle bordering the opening therein and to he deformed radially inwardly, with the resiliency of said lip urging said lip into tight sealing engagement with the upper edge of the bottle to provide a secondary seal.

4. The structure of claim 3, in which the outer wall diverges outwardly at an angle of 3 to 10 to the axis of the -insert and has a substantially greater thickness than the inner Wall to permit the inner wall to be deformed radially outwardly by the internal pressure in the bottle and thereby increase the sealing effect of the outer wall with the neck of the bottle.

5. A flexible plastic insert to be used with a bottle cap for sealing the opening in a bottle, comprising a generally flat base section adapted to be disposed generally flatwise within the cap, a generally cylindrical inner wall extending axially outward from said base section, a flexible annular outer wall connected to the outer portion of said cylindrical wall and diverging radially outward in a direction axially inward toward the plane of the base section, said walls adapted to be inserted with the opening of the bottle and said outer wall adapted to wedgingly engage the neck of the bottle to seal the opening, a generally flat rim connected to the axially inward portion of said outer Wall, and an annular lip connected to said rim at a location adjacent said outer wall and having an axial length substantially less than the axial length of said outer Wall, said lip being generally tapered and having Ia greater thickness at the `root than at the outer extremity thereof, said lip adapted to be engaged by the upper edge of the bottle bordering the opening therein and to be deformed radially inwardly, with the resiliency of said lip urging said lip into tight sealing engagement with the upper edge of the bottle to provide a secondary seal.

6. A bottle cap assembly, comprising a cap having a central portion and a peripheral skirt extending outwardly from the central portion and adapted to `be clamped to the outer surface of the neck of a bottle; `and a flexible plastic insert having a base section disposed generally flatwise to the inner surface of the central portion of the cap and having an annular flange extending axially from the base section with said flange including an outer peripheral surface adapted to wedgingly engage the inner surface of the neck of the `bottle bordering the opening therein to seal the same, and said insert having an annular deformable lip disposed radially outward of the flange and adapted to engage the upper edge of the bottle and to be deformed thereby, said lip having an axial depth substantially less than said flange and adapted to be disposed in tight sealing engagement with the upper edge of the bottle to provide a secondary seal for the opening.

7. A -bottle cap assembly, comprising a cap having a central portion and a peripheral skirt extending outwardly from the central portion and adapted to be clamped to the outer surface of the neck of a bottle; and a llexible plastic insert having a base section disposed generally flatwise to the inner surface of the central portion of the cap, a flexible generally cylindrical inner wall extending axially outward from said base section, a flexible annular outer wall connected to the outer portion of said cylindrical wall and diverging radially outward in a direction axially inward toward the plane of the base section, said Walls adapted to be inserted Within the opening of the bottle and said outer wall adapted to wedgingly engage the neck of the bottle to seal the opening,

a generally flat rim connected to the axially inward portion of said outer wall, and a flexible annular lip connected to said rim at a location adjacent said outer wall and having an axial length substantially less than the axial length of said outer wall, said lip adapted to be engaged by the upper edge of the bottle bordering the opening therein and to be deformed radially inwardly, with the resiliency of said lip urging said lip into tight sealing engagement with the upper edge of the bottle to provide a secondary seal.

8. An insert to be employed for sealing an opening in an article, comprising a generally ilat base section, an annular flange extending axially outwardly from the base section and having a peripheral surface progressively decreasing in external diameter in a direction away from said base section, said peripheral surface adapted to wedgingly engage the inner surface of the article bordering the opening therein to seal the same, and an annular deformable lip disposed radially outward of the ange and adapted to engage the upper edge of the article bordering the opening and to be deformed thereby, said lip extending axially of the base section with the axially outward extremity of said lip terminating short of the axially outward extremity of said flange and being separate and spaced from said flange, said lip adapted to be disposed in tight sealing engagement lwith the upper edge of the article to provide a secondary seal for the opening.

References Cited in the ile of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 498,700 Italy Sept. 30, 1954 :UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,057 501 October 9 1962 Fred P. Kroenert ppears in the above numbered vpat-- It is hereby certified that error a id Letters Patent should read as ent requiring correction and that the sa corrected below.

Column 4, line 32, for "with" read within signed and sealed this 26th day of March 1963@ SEAL) Attest:

ESTON G. JOHNSON D AVID L. LADD';

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer