WO2004050494A1

WO2004050494A1 - Reusable cork stopper with retained plastic head

Info

Publication number: WO2004050494A1
Application number: PCT/AU2003/001550
Authority: WO
Inventors: Brian Dolling
Original assignee: Nukorc Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2002-12-05
Filing date: 2003-11-20
Publication date: 2004-06-17
Also published as: AU2002953107A0

Abstract

Closure including a rigid plastic head (12) comprising a top (16), wall (20) and lower collar (20) with ribs (24). The head (12) creates a cavity (30) with an inner surface defining a capture space and a hole (28) as defined by the ribs (24). A cylindrical compressible closure part (14) is made of deformable material such as synthetic or natural cork and is normally aligned to the head when an end (34) with a diameter Z of the closure part is inserted into the capture space through the hole (28) with a diameter X which is relatively smaller than diameter Z. The closure part is captured within the capture space of the cavity (30) by at least some expansion or bulging of the compressible closure part. The ribs (24) maintain a frictional anchorage between the head (12) and the end (34) of the closure part (14).

Description

REUSABLE CORK STOPPER WITH RETAINED PLASTIC HEAD

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to closures for containers and in particular to closures of the type which are reusable in re-stopping of a bottle.

BACKGROUND ART

Traditionally bottles are stoppered by the pressing of a compressible closure into a bottle neck. Usually, removal of the closure, whether it be a synthetic or a natural cork closure, involves the use of a "cork screw" that penetrates the closure thereby destroying its integrity or sealing capability for reuse.

To overcome this problem, closures have been provided where a rigid crown or head is retained to one end of the closure. This head member supplies structural integrity for extraction of the closure by a pulling force of the user. As the closure has not been penetrated reinsertion back into the bottle is permissible to re-establish the original stoppered condition.

However, such closures have a disadvantage in that hitherto the head or crown has had to be adhesively fastened to the compressible closure part insertable into the neck of the bottle.

The use of the adhesive requires an extra step during the application of the head to the compressible closure part for it to be adequately retained therewith.

Further, adhesives are often toxic or at best non-compatible with the contents of the bottle, thereby providing opportunity for the contents of the bottle to become spoiled if contact with the adhesive is made.

A further conventional solution to overcome this problem of having a rigid crown or head retained to one end of a closure is explained in United States Patent Application publication number 2003/0196985. In this document there is provided a combination bottle stopper and bottle cap comprising a cap having a top and underside, a pin having a length, a first end, and a second end, and a stopper having a height, the first end of said pin fixedly adhesively adhered to underside of said cap, the second end of said pin inserted in said stopper, the length of said pin less than the height of said stopper is provided.

As explained in the document the pin connecting the cap to the stopper is in the shape of a corkscrew.

The problem with such an invention is that the principal means for fastening the cap to the stopper still involves adhesion but importantly in this invention there is an even more limited requirement to the fastening means, that being an additional component, i.e. the pin, to bring the cap and stopper together.

It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a closure having a head retained to a compressible closure part without the use of an adhesive as the primary means for retaining the head and closure part together.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a closure having a head retained to a compressible closure part without additional fixing components other than some adhesive as a secondary retaining means in some preferred embodiments.

It is another still further object of the present invention to overcome, or at least substantially ameliorate some of the disadvantages and shortcomings of the closures discussed above.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, in one form of the invention there is provided a closure of a type having a head and a normally cylindrical compressible closure part, the head having a cavity having an inner surface defining a capture space, and where a diameter of the space is smaller at an outer end of the space than at least one other diameter within the space, an end of the compressible closure part being captured within the capture space by at least some expansion of the end within the capture space into the said other diameter.

An advantage of such an arrangement is that the end of the compressible closure part is prevented from being separated or pulled from the head by the resistance between the smaller diameter and the expanded end of the compressible closure part within that part of the cavity having a larger diameter. A further advantage is that as the end of the compressible closure part is retained to the head by the inherent characteristics of the cavity defined by the inner surface, no additional fastening means such as an adhesive is required.

In a preferred form of the invention the inner surface of the cavity includes a top surface surrounded by an annular skirt and a peripheral wall downward from the skirt terminating in an inwardly laterally extended collar.

The collar defines a hole having a diameter less than that of the end of the compressible closure part.

The hole also has a diameter less than the diameter across the peripheral wall.

An advantage of such an arrangement is that further retaining means is made available to reliably secure the end of the compressible closure part to the head. As the diameter of the hole defined by the collar is less than the diameter of the end of the compressible closure part, the collar is able to clamp the closure part as the remaining portion of the end of the compressible closure part expands from the compressed state into the capture space.

The compressible closure part while expanding within the cavity defined by the inner surface bounded by the peripheral wall and the top is forced to deform around the collar.

In a further preferred form an inner circumference of the collar includes a plurality of ribs radially spaced inwardly around the collar.

An advantage of such an arrangement is that the ribs limit axial rotation of the end of the compressible closure part with respect to the head. The end of the compressible closure part engages the ribs expanding into the spaced intervals between successive ribs of the collar.

A further advantage of having a ribbed collar is that less material is required to define the hole having a small diameter than the remainder of the capture space.

Preferably, the head is made of rigid plastic characterised by a relative stiffness, flexibility and hardness substantially less than that of the glass of the bottle and substantially greater than the deformable material of the end of the compressible closure part.

Preferably, when the collar is made of rigid plastic material, the collar will have a depth of at least 5mm to afford a structural integrity to the head to maintain friction anchorage between the head and the end of the compressible closure part when force is applied to remove the closure from the neck of the bottle.

Preferably, the head includes an outer peripheral wall of a size conducive to being gripped by the fingers of a user for upward turning and pulling to be applied when removing the closure from the neck of a bottle.

Preferably, the compressible closure part is made up of deformable synthetic or natural cork material of an elongated form.

Preferably, the compressible closure part along its length has a uniform diameter that is larger than the hole defined by the collar.

Preferably, the compressible closure part at each distal end is chamfered. However, any slight amount of chamfering has little or no effect on the inherent retaining capabilities of the head in combination with the compressible closure part.

In a further preferred form of the invention an adhesive is used as a secondary or supplemental means for retaining the head to the compressible closure part.

In a further preferred form of this invention there is provided a method of assembly for a closure of the type having a head and a normally cylindrical compressible closure part, wherein the head slideably receives an end of the compressible closure part, the head including a cavity having an inner surface defining a capture space to hold an end of the compressible closure part therein, and an outer end of the space, of smaller diameter than at least one other diameter within the space, such that the compressible closure part slideably engages the outer end of the space for frictional engagement with said outer end and expansion the compressible closure part therewith into the captured space.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of this invention, it will now be described in relation to a preferred embodiment, which shall be described with the assistance of drawings wherein:

Figures 1 A & 1 B are perspective views of the closure;

Figures 2A through 2D are detail views of the head;

Figure 3A is an exploded view of the head and the compressible closure part;

Figure 3B is a perspective view of the assembled closure;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the assembled closure;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled closure.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Referring now to Figures 1 to 4 in detail, the closure 10 includes a head 12 and a cylindrical compressible closure part 14. The head 12 includes an inner top surface 16 with an annular skirt 18 around the periphery of the top surface 16. A wall 20 extends downwardly from the skirt 18 terminating at a laterally extended collar 22 radially located inwardly of the wall 20.

Cavity 30 is defined by the inner top surface 16, skirt 18, wall 20 and collar 22.

The collar 20 includes a plurality of ribs 24 spaced at intervals about an inner circumference 26 (shown in broken lines) of the collar 20.

The ribs 24 define a hole 28 having a diameter X smaller than diameter Y of the cavity 30 bounded by an inner surface 32 of the wall 20. The diameter X is also relatively smaller than diameter Z of an end 34 of the compressible closure part 14.

The wall 20 has an outside surface 36 made up of a series of ridges 38 that radially extend outward from the wall 20. The ridges 38 are conducive to being gripped by the fingers of a person for upward turning and pulling forces applied in removal of the closure 10 from the neck of a bottle.

The head 12 is made of rigid plastic material of a comparative greater stiffness and hardness to the end 34 of the compressible closure part 14. The compressible closure part 14 is made of a deformable material, preferably synthetic or natural cork with a stiffness and hardness less than that of the rigid plastic material of the head 12.

The compressible closure part 14 includes an elongated cylindrical wall 40 that terminates in a chamfered shoulder 42 adapted to be inserted flush within the top of the bottle neck. The cylindrical wall 40 has a uniform outside diameter 44 and normal ends 46 and 48. The ends 46, 48 are separated from the cylindrical wall 40 by the shoulder 42 thereby having a slightly smaller diameter W for improved insertability into the neck of the bottle.

The chamfered shoulder 40 offers little or no advantage in retaining the end 34 of the compressible closure part 14 to the head 12.

The closure 10 is formed by inserting the end 34 of the compressible closure part 14 into the cavity 30 of the head 12 through the hole 28.

The ribs 24 of the collar 20 depress the end 34 of the compressible closure part 14 by penetrating the outer wall 40 inwards allowing it to pass through in a compressed state. The end 34 of the closure part having being compressed and passed through the hole 28 expands back out to the original uncompressed state within the cavity 30.

A portion 48 bulges against an upper surface 50 of ribs 24 retaining the end 34 of the compressible closure part 14 within the cavity 30 of the head 12.

The ribs 24 have a depth of at least 5mm to afford a structural integrity of the head to maintain a f rictional anchorage between the head 12 and the end 34 of the compressible closure part 14 when force is applied to remove the closure 10 from the neck of the bottle.

The ribs 24 are divided by slots 52. As the ribs 24 penetrate the outer wall 40 of the compressible closure part 14, deformation allows regions 54 of the uncompressed material of the closure part 14 to be held within the slots 52 thereby preventing axial rotation of the end 34 of the closure part 14 with respect to the head 12.

It is to be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as described.

The present embodiments are therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restricted. Particularly, it can be appreciated that a variety of forms and shapes of the cavity may be definable within the head in order to bring about the retaining of the end of the compressible closure part by its expansion into this cavity. It is the intention of this description to incorporate such arrangements.

Claims

1. A closure including:

a head adapted to be gripped by the fingers of a user;

said head having a cavity with an inner surface defining a capture space;

said capture space having a first diameter of space smaller at an outer end of the capture space than at least one other diameter within the capture space;

a cylindrical compressible closure part substantially normally aligned to the head when inserted there into said capture space;

wherein an end of the compressible closure part is capturable within the capture space by at least some expansion of the compressible closure part end within the capture space defined by said other diameter.

2. The closure of claim 1 wherein the inner surface of the cavity includes a top surface surrounded by an annular skirt and a peripheral wall downward from the skirt terminating in an inwardly laterally extended collar.

3. The closure of claim 2 wherein the collar defines a hole having a diameter less than that of the end of the compressible closure part.

4. The closure of claim 3 wherein the hole also has a diameter less than the diameter across the peripheral wall.

5. The closure of anyone of claims 2 to 4 wherein an inner circumference of the collar includes a plurality of ribs radially spaced inwardly around the collar.

6. The closure of anyone of the preceding claims wherein the head is made of rigid plastic characterised by a relative stiffness, flexibility and hardness substantially less than that of the glass of the bottle and substantially greater than the deformable material of the end of the compressible closure part.

7. The closure of anyone of claims 2 to 6 wherein the collar is made of rigid plastic material with a depth of at least 5mm to afford a structural integrity to the head to maintain friction anchorage between the head and the end of the compressible closure part when force is applied to remove the closure from the neck of the bottle.

8. The closure of anyone of claims 2 to 7 wherein the head includes an outer peripheral wall of a size conducive to being gripped by the fingers of a user for upward turning and pulling to be applied when removing the closure from a neck of a bottle.

9. The closure of anyone of the preceding claims wherein the compressible closure part is made up of deformable synthetic or natural cork material of an elongated form.

10. The closure of claim 9 wherein the compressible closure part along the closure part length has a uniform diameter that is larger than the hole defined by the collar.

11. The closure of claims 9 or 10 wherein the compressible closure part at each distal end is chamfered.

12. The closure of anyone of the preceding claims wherein an adhesive is used as a secondary or supplementary means for retaining the head to the compressible closure part when the end of the compressible closure part is inserted into the capture space.

13. A method of assembly for a closure of the type having a head and a normally cylindrical compressible closure part, wherein the head is slideably received with an end of the compressible closure part, the head including a cavity having an inner surface defining a capture space to hold an end of the compressible closure part therein, and an outer end of the space, of smaller diameter than at least one other diameter within the space, such that the compressible closure part end expands out into the capture space and retained therein by said outer end of the captured space.

14. A closure made according to the method of claim 12.