WO2000027722A1

WO2000027722A1 - Closing cap for threaded-neck bottles

Info

Publication number: WO2000027722A1
Application number: PCT/EP1999/008434
Authority: WO
Inventors: Philippe Nusbaum
Original assignee: Bericap Technologies/Rical Sa
Priority date: 1998-11-06
Filing date: 1999-11-03
Publication date: 2000-05-18
Also published as: DE19851331A1; ES2217842T3; EP1077883A1; AU1551100A; DE59908749D1; EP1077883B1; ATE260826T1

Abstract

The invention relates to a closing cap for bottles whose neck (20) has a closing thread (21) and below said thread (21) has a retaining projection (22) for a tear band. The cap consists of a substantially cylindrical jacket (1) and a base (2) which covers the jacket (1) on one side and has integrated closing elements (3) which can be opened and closed independently. To create a cap which has the characteristics described above and can be placed onto conventional threaded-neck bottles yet cannot be screwed off or easily removed in any other manner, the invention provides for the cap jacket (1) to be configured without a thread and for the internal wall of said jacket (1) to have one or more projections (4) pointing inwards which are positioned at a clear distance from the base (2) which is more than the usual axial length of a thread (21) which fits the thread of the bottle neck.

Description

Cap for threaded neck bottles

The present invention relates to a closure cap for bottles, the bottle neck of which has a closure thread and, below the thread, a retaining projection for a guarantee band, the closure cap comprising an essentially cylindrical jacket-shaped cap jacket and a cap base with integrated covering or closing on one side Closure elements exist which can be opened and closed regardless of the cap being placed on the bottle neck.

Corresponding closures have been known for a long time, the closure element integrated in the cap jacket typically being an element of a so-called push-pull closure, which consists of a cylindrical part with a sleeve guided thereon which can be axially displaced to a limited extent on the cylindrical part , the closure in one axial position of the sleeve opening a passage for the outflow of liquid from the closure and in another relative axial position closing the corresponding passage. Typically, these closures are used on plastic bottles, the walls of which are compressible, so that a pressure is built up inside the bottle and the liquid can be squeezed out through the opened closure. Bottles with appropriate closures are very popular among children and young people as drinking bottles. These closures are also very practical insofar as the closure is practically captive and the closure sleeve can only be moved axially, but cannot be removed.

However, the present invention is not limited to caps that have corresponding push-pull closures, but is generally applicable to all types of caps for threaded neck bottles that have any additional closure element that is integrated into the cap and independent of unscrewing the cap can be opened and closed.

Insofar as reference is also made to a bottle neck with regard to the closure cap, this is only intended to characterize the intended use of the closure cap, but the closure cap itself is to be regarded as the subject of the invention.

The previously known caps for bottles with a corresponding threaded neck can be unscrewed as a whole from the bottle neck. However, in some applications it is undesirable for the cap to be removed from a bottle and otherwise reused. Especially with bottles, the content of which is relatively perishable or one Culture medium for germs provides, if it is exposed to external environmental influences for a long time, it is undesirable that appropriate closures are reused, because the passage passages of the closure elements can be very difficult to clean, so that residues of a drink settle into them and become a significant one Can lead to contamination.

However, since the closures in question can be easily unscrewed, it has so far been practically impossible to prevent reuse. Although the closure and the bottle neck could also be redesigned in such a way that the closure cannot be easily removed, this, as said, would require the redesign of a standardized and now very widespread bottle neck, especially for a long time widespread PET bottles that are to be used as reusable bottles. Then again the usual screw caps could not be screwed onto appropriately redesigned bottles, which should still also be used for such beverage bottles.

Compared to this prior art, the present invention has for its object to provide a cap with the features mentioned above, which can be placed on conventional threaded neck bottles and which is not unscrewable or easily removable in any other way.

This object is achieved in that the cap jacket is designed without an internal thread and that the inner wall of the cap jacket has one or more inwardly projecting projections which are arranged at such a clear distance from the cap bottom that the more than the usual axial length of one to the bottle neck thread matching thread. Since the thread necks of bottles for which the closure in question is provided have an outwardly directed retaining projection below the thread, the inwardly directed projection on the cap jacket, which is arranged at a distance from the cap base, which is the axial length of an otherwise provided in this area Thread exceeds, lock behind the retaining projection of a bottle neck. It goes without saying that the distance of the inward projection on the cap jacket from the cap base is matched to the distance of the holding projection from the mouth of the bottle neck provided for the corresponding bottles. in order to keep the axial play of the cap on the bottle neck as low as possible or to completely prevent such play.

This configuration of the cap enables a bottling company, such as a beverage production company, to use sealing caps with a screw thread or with the latching holder according to the invention. In particular, conventional screw caps can still be screwed onto corresponding bottles. The type of closure can thus be tailored to the wishes of the customer. Certain markets can are supplied with one type of closure, while others receive another type of closure without having to change anything in the PET bottles used, for example, as reusable bottles.

This design of the closure cap also facilitates its manufacture, since corresponding injection molds for caps, which instead of a tear-off tape attached via easily tearable connections and having internal projections and the additional internal thread to be provided, only have an essentially smooth inner wall with the holding projection / projections is manufacturable and manageable, and may possibly also have a simpler structure.

Since the threads on the bottle necks typically have an axial extent which, measured from the mouth of the bottle neck, is at least 6-8 mm, it is possible to use the above-defined feature, according to which the projection or the projections are arranged at such an axial distance from the cap base Describe, which is more than the usual axial length of a bottle neck thread or the corresponding thread usually provided on a cap, also alternatively in that this distance between the projection and the cap base is at least 6 mm, preferably at least 8 mm, and in particular at least 10 mm is.

For use on the now widely used PET bottles, this distance is specifically between 12 and 15 mm, so that a corresponding distance range is particularly preferred.

The projections or projections are expediently provided in the vicinity of the lower edge of the cap casing, since the axial length of the cap casing only has to be sufficient to carry the latching projections in question. However, it can also extend a certain amount in the axial direction beyond the projections, since corresponding bottles in this area have a support flange which has a larger diameter than the rest of the bottle neck and whose diameter is also larger than the outer diameter of the cap , so that the lower edge of the cap can rest on this flange, which in turn effectively prevents the insertion of a tool between the cap jacket and bottle neck for the purpose of lifting off the cap, or at least makes it considerably more difficult.

It is understood that the smallest inner diameter of the cap shell, defined by the most inwardly projecting portions of the projections, should be sufficiently large so that the projections can be easily moved over a corresponding thread of a bottle neck and only engage in engagement with the holding projection of the bottle. However, the materials typically used for such caps are also sufficiently elastic, so that even if the inner diameter of the cap defined by the projections is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the thread of the bottle neck, the cap can nevertheless be pushed over the thread and pushed onto the retaining projection.

In one embodiment of the invention it is provided that the inwardly projecting projection is designed as an annular circumferential bead. In another preferred embodiment, in principle one starts from an annular circumferential bead, which, however, has several interruptions, so that accordingly several projections are provided, it being understood that the projections or their holding surfaces, which are in latching engagement with the Step on the retaining projection or retaining ring on a bottle neck, always have the same distance from the base of the cap.

The projection or the projections are expediently nose-shaped in cross section, with a lower ramp surface (7) which extends obliquely inwards upwards and an essentially radially extending or slightly inclined outward inclining surface upwards. This configuration facilitates the pushing of the closure cap onto a corresponding retaining ring and at the same time ensures a good holding force on the holding surface which is almost radially or only slightly inclined with respect to the radial plane.

Since, as already mentioned, the push-pull closures have in the meantime gained a certain importance, a corresponding configuration of the integrated closure element in the closure cap according to the present invention is preferred.

The present invention also relates to a combination of a closure cap and a bottle with a corresponding, suitable bottle neck, the closure cap should have any of the features listed above, but at least the features according to claim 1, and wherein the bottle neck has an external thread and below the external thread has one or more outwardly directed retaining projections, the distance (d) of a lower retaining surface of the retaining projection from the mouth edge of the bottle neck roughly corresponding to the distance between a retaining surface of an inwardly projecting projection of the closure cap jacket and the inner surface of the closure cap resting on the mouth edge in the assembled state Cap bottom.

This means nothing other than that the closure cap and bottle neck are matched to one another and the closure cap can be placed firmly on the bottle neck and is held in place by its inner projections and the retaining ring below the bottle neck thread.

The retaining projection or retaining ring on the bottle neck should also be expediently designed as an annular circumferential bead with an approximately nose-shaped cross section, with an upper ren, upwardly inclined ramp surface and a lower, substantially radially extending or slightly inclined with respect to a radial plane holding surface be formed. This is complementary to the design of the projections on the inner wall of the closure cap. This means that when the cap is pushed onto a corresponding bottle neck, the ramp surfaces which are slightly inclined with respect to the closure axis (and strongly inclined with respect to a horizontal plane) meet in such a way that they slide over one another relatively easily. Only when the projections have mutually exceeded their highest points does the locking occur due to the bearing surfaces of the inwardly projecting projection on the closure cap and the retaining projection or retaining ring on the bottle neck, which are only slightly inclined relative to a horizontal plane or lying parallel to this plane.

In addition, as already mentioned, the combination is provided that, in addition, a circumferential support flange is provided below the projection formed as a retaining ring or retaining projection, the outer diameter of which is larger than the outer diameter of the cap jacket. The axial length of the cap shell is accordingly adjusted so that in the locked state of the cap on the bottle neck the lower edge of the cap shell sits on this support flange. The support flange, which is usually used for handling the bottles, especially during transport, can also be used as a counter-holder when the caps are attached, since the caps have to be pressed on in the axial direction and a certain amount of force has to be exerted in order to do so To move projections on the cap and bottle neck over each other.

The distance between the projections and the lower edge of the cap can also be dimensioned such that the lower edge of the cap presses on the support flange with a certain tension, so that the closure cap is also axially fixed in this area.

Further advantages, features and possible uses of the present invention will become clear from the following description of a preferred embodiment and the associated figures. Show it:

1 shows a perspective view of a closure cap according to the invention, FIG. 2 shows the closure cap according to FIG. 1, enlarged and partly in section in a side view, FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a bottle neck, FIG. 4 shows an enlarged side view of a bottle neck, partly in section, FIG Figure 2 shown cap, placed on a bottle neck and with additional closure elements in a side view, partially in section, and Figure 6 is a further enlarged section of Figure 5. One can see in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 2 a closure cap, designated overall by 10, which consists of an essentially cylindrical jacket-shaped cap jacket 1 and a cap base 2 which closes or covers the top of the cap jacket 1, with a multi-graded one in the central region of the cap base 2 , cylindrical closure element 3 is provided. In addition, one can also see a sealing lip 9 which extends radially within the cap shell 1 and which is intended to lie closely against the inner surface of the bottle neck in a bottle neck mouth.

As can be seen, the cylinder jacket 1 of the cap has no internal thread, but only a plurality of projections 4, which protrude radially inwards from the wall of the cylinder jacket 1 and are evenly distributed over the circumference of the cap jacket 1, three of which are shown in the illustration in FIG Projections are recognizable, each of which extends over an angular range of, for example, 30-50 °, a smaller sector being provided freely between adjacent projections 4 and without any projections.

It goes without saying that the projections 4, instead of being broken down into individual projections 4, could also be designed as a continuous circumferential annular bead or annular projection.

As already mentioned, all the projections 4 have the same axial distance from the essentially flat cap base 2. This distance is very large compared to conventional caps that have snap edges. In the case of simple sealing caps with snap edges, the overall caps are at most 5 - 8 mm high in the axial direction and the clear distance between the upper holding surface of a snap edge or snap edge projection and the upper inner surface of a cap base is usually less than 5 mm. However, the closure cap 10 according to the invention is intended to be placed on a threaded bottle neck, the large clear distance d 'between the top of the projections 4 and the underside or inner surface of the cap base 2 being provided in the in between of a thread-free area to take up the thread of the bottle neck without interfering in any way.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a corresponding bottle neck 20, which likewise essentially has the shape of a cylinder jacket, an external thread 21 being provided on its outside and a circumferential retaining ring 22 additionally being provided below the thread. Furthermore, another support flange 23 can be seen, again at a certain distance below the retaining ring 22, the function of the individual elements being described below with further reference to FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 shows the bottle neck 20 in a lateral external view in the larger right part, the wall of this bottle neck being shown in section in the left partial area. In detail In addition to the cylinder jacket-shaped wall of the bottle neck 20, one can see the generally two-start external thread 21, which, measured from the mouth edge 26 of the bottle neck, in the standardized bottle necks, as are known, for example, from PET bottles in the beverage industry, to an axial distance of approximately 8-10 mm to this mouth edge 26 extends. Again, a few millimeters below the thread 21, a retaining ring 22 can be seen, it should be noted that this retaining ring 22 does not necessarily have to be a continuous, continuous retaining ring or retaining bead, but could also be interrupted, as is also the case for the radially inwardly projecting projections 4 of the closure cap 10 according to FIG. 2 is the case. The retaining ring 22 typically has a slightly larger outer diameter than the thread 21.

As can clearly be seen in the left part of FIG. 4, the retaining ring 22 has an essentially nose-shaped cross section with an upper ramp surface 25 slightly inclined with respect to the axis 15 and a lower, almost radially extending holding surface 25.

Usually, screw caps known per se are screwed onto such a bottle neck 20, the known screw caps having an internal thread corresponding to the external thread 21 and these screw caps are also provided along their lower edge with a so-called tear-off band or guarantee band, which also protrudes radially inwards has and which is otherwise connected to the overlying part of the cap shell via easily tearable connections. When screwing on, the inwardly projecting projections slide down over the already mentioned ramp surface 24 and the projections provided on the guarantee band of the screw cap engage with corresponding radially inwardly projecting surfaces behind the holding surface 25. This means that when the closure is unscrewed, the actual closure cap on the Thread 21 is moved axially upwards, while the projections of the guarantee tape hold onto the holding surface 25 of the projection 22 or retaining ring 22, so that due to the stresses that occur, the easily tearable connections between the cap and the guarantee tape tear off and then the guarantee tape loosely between the projection 22 and the support flange 23 hangs. This guarantee tape released from the cap is a sure indication that the closure has already been opened, while the easily tearable connections between the guarantee band and the closure cap still withstand the expansion forces that occur when screwing on.

The support flange 23 serves, on the one hand, to absorb any axial forces which act on the closure or on the bottle and, in particular, also serves to grasp and transport the bottles in appropriate filling and closing machines.

Figure 5 shows the cap already shown in Figure 2 placed on a bottle neck shown in Figure 4. As you can see, the inside diameter of the cap jacket 1 is so Measure that the external thread 21 of the bottle neck 20 still has 1 place inside the cap jacket. The position of the projection 4 is such that the axial distance d 'that this projection 4 has from the inner surface of the cap base 2 corresponds approximately to the distance that the lower holding surface 25 of the retaining ring 22 has from the mouth edge 26 of the bottle neck . This means that when, as shown in Figure 5, the cap base 2 rests on the mouth edge 26, the projection 4, which also has a nose-shaped cross section, just engages behind the projection 22, so that the upper holding surface 5 of the projection 4 is approximately at the lower one Holding surface 25 of the projection 22 abuts. One of the holding surfaces 5, 25 or both can also be slightly inclined and their distances from the surfaces 6 and 26 can be dimensioned such that the most protruding points of the two projections 4, 22 can just be moved past one another and then the surfaces 5, 25 come into firm engagement with one another, the cap jacket 1 or the protrusion 4, which is pushed elastically outward, springing back radially as far as the engagement of these two surfaces permits, so that the cap 10 with a certain tension firmly and essentially is held on the bottle neck 20 without axial play.

In the enlarged detail representation according to FIG. 6, it can also be seen that in this assembled state, the lower edge 8 of the cap jacket 1 is seated on the surface of the support flange 23. The support flange 23 has a larger outer diameter than the cap 10, so that the lower cap edge 8 can actually rest on this surface. The projection 4 has a lower ramp surface 7 which is slightly inclined with respect to the axis 15 of the closure 10 and which can slide on the bottle neck 20 on the ramp surface 24 of the projection 22 when the closure cap 10 is slid on axially, the cap jacket 1 necessarily having to expand somewhat and then snaps back elastically in the radial direction as soon as the most protruding points of the projections 4, 22 have passed each other.

By sitting the lower edge 8 of the cap casing 1 on the upper surface of the support flange 23, reaching under the cap edge is prevented or at least made difficult, so that it becomes very difficult to remove the cap casing 1 or the closure cap 10 with the help of any tools Bottle neck 20 to separate. The support flange 23 also serves to absorb axial forces which arise in particular when the closure cap 10 is installed, which is namely simply pressed or bounced onto the bottle neck in the axial direction. A corresponding holder encompasses the bottle neck 20 and supports the support flange 23 and thus the bottle neck 20 as a whole from below. It goes without saying that, although the bottle neck 20 is shown in isolation here, such a bottle neck 20 is generally connected in one piece to a bottle below it.

FIG. 5 also shows additional elements 11 of the locking mechanism and 12, 13 of a cover cap. The locking mechanism still includes the sleeve 11, which is axially movable, in the state shown in Figure 5, axially pushed down tightly with the closure element 3 of the cap 10, while in an axially upward state it clears a passage for the passage of liquid from the bottle. The axial play of the sleeve 11 with respect to the inner closure element 3 is therefore only between 1 and 5 mm and, moreover, the two end positions are preferably provided with catches, so that these two positions are more or less stable.

The additional covering cap 12 can consist, for example, of a transparent plastic material and is connected in one piece via easily tearable connections 14 to a lower tear-off tape 13, which in turn is locked in place by an inwardly projecting bead with a corresponding circumferential groove on the inner closure element 3. Specifically, this means that to remove the protective cap 12, in order to be able to actuate the closure elements 11, 3 and to open the closure, the easily tearable connections must be broken in order to be able to remove the cap 12, in which case the tear-off ring or the tear-off - Or guarantee tape 13 remains on the cap 10.

Claims

Patent claims

1. closure cap for bottles, the bottle neck (20) of which has a closure thread (21) and below the thread (21) a retaining projection (22) for a guarantee band, consisting of an essentially cylindrical-shaped cap casing (1) and a cap casing (1) on one side covering cap base (2) with integrated closure elements (3) which can be closed and opened independently, characterized in that the cap portion (1) is designed without an internal thread and that the inner wall of the cap casing (1) projects one or more inwards Has projections (4) which are arranged at such a clear distance from the cap base (2) that is more than the usual axial length of a thread matching the bottle neck thread (21).

2. Cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the clear distance (d ') of the projection (4) to the cap base (2) is at least 6 mm, preferably at least 8 mm and in particular at least 10 mm.

3. Cap according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the or the projections (4) in the vicinity of the lower edge of the cap shell (1) are provided.

4. Cap according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the projection (4) is designed as an annular circumferential bead.

5. Cap according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the projections (4) are formed from sections of a substantially annular circumferential but interrupted bead.

6. Cap according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the projection or the projections (4) is or are nose-shaped in cross-section, with a lower, upwardly inclined ramp surface (7) and a substantially radially extending or slightly inclined upward inclined outward holding surface (5) is or are.

7. Cap according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the closure element integrated in the cap base (2) is designed as part of a so-called push-pull closure.

8. Combination of a closure cap according to one of claims 1 to 7 and a bottle with a bottle neck (20), which has an external thread (21) and below the external thread one or more outward holding projections, the distance (d) of a lower holding surface (25) of the holding projection (22) from the mouth edge (26) of the bottle neck (20) corresponds approximately to the distance (d ¹ ) which a holding surface (5) of an inwardly projecting projection (4) of the closure cap (10) from the assembled state on the rim (26) of the inner surface (6) of the cap base (2).

9. Combination according to claim 8, characterized in that the holding projection (22) on the bottle neck (20) is designed as an annular circumferential bead with an approximately nose-shaped cross-section, with an upper ramp surface which slopes upwards and a lower, substantially radially extending or slightly upward inclined holding surface (25) is formed.

10. Combination according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that a circumferential support flange (23) is provided below the projection formed as a retaining ring (22) on the bottle neck (20), the outer diameter of which is larger than the outer diameter of the cap shell (1).

11. Combination according to one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the clear distance of the holding surface (25) of the retaining ring (22) to the support flange (23) approximately the distance of the holding surface (5) of the projection (4) to the lower edge (8) of the cap jacket (1) corresponds.