WO2008022473A1

WO2008022473A1 - Bottle closure

Info

Publication number: WO2008022473A1
Application number: PCT/CH2006/000458
Authority: WO
Inventors: Markus Bacher; Rizal Darmawan
Original assignee: Markus Bacher; Rizal Darmawan
Priority date: 2006-08-23
Filing date: 2006-08-23
Publication date: 2008-02-28

Abstract

The invention concerns a bottle closure (1) for a bottle that is intended for a liquid dispenser of the water fountain type. The bottle closure comprises a cap (2) with a transverse end wall (3) from which a substantially cylindrical external skirt projects (4) and a cover (5) for opening, that is preferably situated in the transverse end wall (3) of the cap (2), wherein the material of the cover (5) is less resistant to indentation than the material of the cap (2). Furthermore, the skirt (4) may comprise ribs (7) which substantially run in the same direction as the axis (8) of the closure device (1). A seal element (11) can be attached to the internal face of the transverse end wall (3), wherein said seal element (11) comprises at least two steps (11.1, 11.2) of different axial heights.

Description

Bottle closure

DESCRIPTION

Technical field

The invention relates to a bottle closure comprising a cap with a transverse end wall from which a substantially cylindrical external skirt projects. The bottle closure can be employed to close a bottle comprising a neck which is intended for a liquid dispenser of the "water fountain" type. The water to be dispensed is usually delivered in bottles with the content of five gallons (19/20 liters) . To transfer the water from the bottle to the dispenser, the bottle is placed upside down on the dispenser. From the dispenser it is possible to dispense the water in smaller volumes, for example into glasses. The dispensing of waters by fountains is^' widely spread in countries such as the United States of America and emerging market countries, for example in Asia.

■ Background

The patent application WO 02/079046 Al discloses a closure device for a carboy designed for liquid dispensers of the water fountain type. The device com- prises a cap including a transverse wall wherefrom projects an outer skirt. The closure device further comprises a substantially cylindrical internal shaft, the shaft being intended to receive a take-off cannula provided on the dispenser so as to come to fit in the shaft from the transverse end wall of the cap, when the bottle is placed on the dispenser. A tamper-evident cover is moulded in a single piece with the cap and situated at the beginning of the shaft, on the transverse wall side, for closing off the shaft. The transverse wall has on its inner surface an annular groove that comprises means for attaching a seal. A stopper in the shape of a cap is fit- ted opposite to the transverse wall onto the shaft.

The known closure device requires a dispenser of the "water fountain" type to the opened, the dispenser usually having a stick to destroy the cover and to open the stopper. Furthermore, for recycling purposes usually warm water is applied to the bottle which may lead to additional shrinkage of the bottleneck rendering it non- leak-proof for closure devices.

Summary of the invention

Hence, the object of the present invention is to provide a bottle closure that can be opened by simple means while being tamper-evident, such simple means for example being a thumb, a finger nail or a knife. It is a further object of the invention to provide a bottle closure that is leak-proof and economically priced. It is still a further object of the invention to provide a bottle closure that is economically also suited for emerging market countries . These objects are achieved by a bottle closure according to the independent claims .

To this end, and according to a first aspect, the invention relates to a bottle closure comprising a cap and a transverse end wall from which a substantially cylindrical external skirt projects, and a cover for opening, which is preferably situated in the transverse end wall of the cap, the material of the cover being less resistant to indentation than the material of the cap. That is, the material of the cover is more elastic, less brittle, more impact resistant and/or more flexible than the material of the cap. The difference between the characteristics, especially of the elongation, of the materi- als may be in the range of several hundred percent, in particular between 100 to 700 percent, especially 300 to 400 percent.

Before launching a bottle closure it usually has to undergo several tests, for example a so-called drop test, where the bottle with the bottle closure is dropped from a height of approximately two meters. If a brittle material is used for the cover as is the case for the above described state of the art the cover may break during the drop test. By using a more flexible, less brittle material, such breakage can be avoided. This has furthermore the advantage that the stopper of the above- described known closure device may be omitted.

By using a cover material that is less resis- tant to indentation than the material of the cap, the bottle closure can be used for dispensers with sticks, the stick opening the cover, or for dispensers without a stick, the cover being opened for example by using a thumb or some other hard object, e.g. a key. By opening the cover, the stick heavily deforms (by approximately several hundred percent of its base cross-section) the elastic cover before it breaks to prevent water splashes . A rigid, non-elastic cover with similar material characteristics than the cap could not lead to a spla.sh-free opening. The cover material is strong enough or has a sufficient hardness, respectively, that it is leak-proof during handling, until it is opened for transferring the contained water to a dispenser. The cover is preferably tamper-evident. Furthermore, it can be situated in the transverse end wall of the cap such that it is aligned with the transverse end wall, thereby rendering it easier to open. For easier placement of the bottle closure on a dispenser, the cover is preferably situated in the center of the transverse end wall. Preferentially, the cover has a thickness of substantially 0.4 millimeters. However, the cover is not restricted to this particular amount of thickness. The cover can be either transparent or non-transparent, a transparent cover or a non-transparent cover with a different color than the cap having the advantage that a user can place the bottle closure more accurately on a dispenser or a dispenser stick, respectively.

For easier opening, the cover has preferably a marking for positioning an opening object, such as a thumb or a key. The marking may have the form of a -circular line or additionally to the marking there may be pro- vided a circular line along which a part of the cover can be torn off, so that clogging can be prevented when the bottle is mounted on a dispenser without stick.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bottle closure also comprises a substan- tially cylindrical internal shaft that projects from the transverse end wall in the same direction as the external skirt. Furthermore, the cover has an axial mantle that is bent in the same direction as the internal shaft, wherein the axial mantle is connected to the internal shaft. Dur- ing production, the connection of the axial mantle to the internal shaft can take place by employing high temperatures. The axial height of the internal shaft is preferably less than the axial height of the external skirt. The axial mantle of the cover is preferentially connected to the entire inner face of the internal shaft. The internal shaft thereby supports the cover and insures that the cover does not immediately break, when it comes into contact with another object. The internal shaft or its inner face provide a large surface for connection with the ax- ial mantle of the cover. The axial mantle of the cover is preferably dragged down to the outer end of the internal shaft while being entirely connected to the internal shaft. The internal shaft furthermore provides a guide conduct for a stick of a dispenser. According to a further aspect or another version of the invention, the bottle closure comprises a cap with a transverse end wall from which a substantially cy- lindrical external skirt projects, wherein the external skirt comprises ribs which substantially run in the same direction as the axes of the cap. Preferentially, the ribs are spaced equidistantly and the thickness of the ribs exceeds the thickness of the external skirt.

During production the bottle closure is usually heated and pressed on a bottleneck causing a shrinkage of the external skirt which may lead to deformations of the external skirt. Often, a tamper-evident seal band is connected to the end of the external skirt and the shrinkage of the external skirt provides that the actual opening force for opening the bottle closure has to be so large that the tamper-evident seal band breaks away when opening the bottle closure for the first time. Due to the provision of ribs which are deformed during the shrinking process the external skirt of the cap butts closer against the neck of a bottle leading to a better sealing and increased protection against the intrusion of dirt or particles, and the bottle closure can be less easily de- tached from the bottle. Furthermore, the overall structure of the bottle closure is stiffer when compared to a bottle closure with an external skirt without ribs.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the external skirt comprises an outer rim being of greater thickness than the external skirt. This outer rim constitutes preferably a wavy line (also called water wave line or water wave line tamper-evident band) . The wavy line may for example be in the shape of a sinusoid or any other regular or irregular non-straight line. This further enhances the stiffness of the entire structure of the bottle closure. The shape of the wavy line, that is for example its amplitude and phase, alter during the shrinkage process but this alteration is not perceived as disturbing by the user. If the outer rim of the external skirt would just constitute a circular line, then crinkles and folds would appear during shrinkage, leading to inferior sealing and abutment. Furthermore, lifting-off of the bottle closure would be simplified. By shaping the outer rim as a wavy line, it is ensured that the external skirt is closely fitted against the bottleneck, wherein each rib preferentially connects to a peak and/or a val- ley of the wavy line.

According to a further aspect or another version of the invention, the bottle closure comprises a cap with a transverse end wall from which a substantially cylindrical external skirt projects and an annular seal element, wherein the seal element is attached to the internal face of the transverse end wall and the seal element comprises at least two steps of different axial heights. The axial height of the steps increases preferably as the distance to the center of the transverse end wall increases. Preferentially, the material of the seal element is less resistant to indentation than the material of the cap i.e. the hardness of the material of the cap exceeds the hardness of the material of the seal element. The material of the seal element may comprise the material of the cover.

According to a preferred embodiment, the transition between the preferably two steps occurs approximately two millimeters from the internal rim line of the neck of the bottle, when the bottle closure is mounted on the neck of a bottle. The inner rim line corresponds to the intersection line between the transverse face and the inner axial face of the bottleneck. This has the effect that not only the transverse face of the bottleneck is covered by the sealing element but especially the inner rim line of the bottleneck. Due to the sealing element comprising at least two steps, even large variations between the many different bottlenecks existing on the market and a possible coarseness or irregularities of the transverse face of the bottleneck can be compensated for while efficiently sealing the bottleneck, still only requiring a relatively small cross section of the sealing element which leads to a reduction of weight. Brief description of the drawings

Further embodiments, advantages and applica- tions of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims as well as in the following description which makes reference to the figures, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation view of a bottle closure according to the invention; Figure 2 is a detail view A of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a detail view B of Figure 1.

In the figures like reference signs designate the same or similar parts or components.

Embodiments of the invention

The bottle closure as depicted by the accompanying figures is intended for sealing the neck of bot- ties for water dispensers of the fountain type. Such bus- ties usually have a content of five gallons (19/20 liters) and are formed for example from polycarbonate.

The bottle closure 1 according to Figure 1 comprises a cap 2, the cap 2 having a transverse end wall 3 and a substantially cylindrical external skirt 4. In the center of the transverse end wall 3 is situated a cover 5, the material of the cover 5 being less resistant to indentation than the material of the cap 2. The hardness of the cover material lies, for example, in the range of Shore A 30 to 90. The diameter of the bottle closure is approximately 60 millimeters . The density of the material of the cap 2 is approximately 0.9 gram per cubic centimeter.

As can be seen enlarged in Figure 2, that depicts detail A of Figure 1, the bottle closure 1 also comprises a substantially cylindrical internal shaft 6 that projects from the transverse end wall 3 in the same direction as the external skirt 4. An inner part 5.1 of the cover 5 is preferably aligned with the transverse end wall 3. An axial mantle 5.2 of the cover 5 is bent in the same direction as the internal shaft 6 wherein the axial mantle 5.2 is connected to the internal shaft 6. The in- ternal shaft β thereby serves as support for the cover 5. The cover 5 can be transparent and/or non-transparent. The unbent part 5.1 of the cover 5 has for example a diameter of approximately 22 millimeters. The bent part or axial mantle 5.2 of the cover 5 has for ex- ample an axial height of approximately six millimeters. The cover 5 itself has for example a thickness of substantially 0.4 millimeters.

The external skirt 4 comprises ribs 7 whereby the thickness of the ribs 7 preferably exceeds the thick- ness of the external skirt 4. The ribs 7 are preferentially located in a lower part 4.2 of the external skirt 4. The ribs 7 run substantially in the same direction as the axis 8 of the bottle closure 1. The external skirt 4 or the lower part 4.2 of the external skirt 4, respec- tively, comprises an outer rim 9 of greater thickness than the external skirt 4. The outer rim 9 has preferably the form of a wavy line. The ribs 7 are connected to the valleys of this wavy line. They may additionally or alternatively be connected to the peaks of the wavy line or in-between. The ribs 7 preferably project outwards from the external skirt 4 or its lower part 4.2, respectively. The external skirt 4 comprises for example six ribs 7. The external skirt 4 may, however, comprise more or less ribs 7. The external skirt 4 preferentially comprises an upper part 4.1 that connects the lower part 4.2 to the transverse end wall 3. Figure 3 depicts as detail B the part of the bottle closure 1 that comprises the upper part 4.1 of the external skirt 4 in an enlarged version. Spaced apart from the transverse end wall 3 the upper part 4.1 comprises an annular protrusion 10 projecting inward the bottle closure 1. When mounting the bottle closure 1 on a bottleneck, the protrusion 10 buts against the outer face of the bottleneck leading to better sealing .

The bottle closure 1 comprises an annular seal element 11 that is attached to the internal face of the transfer end wall 3. The seal element 11 comprises at least two steps 11.1, 11.2 of different axial heights. The axial height of the steps 11.1, 11.2 increases as the distance to the center of the transfers end wall 3 in- creases. That is step 11.2 is of larger axial height than step 11.1. The radial width of the steps 11.1, 11.2 is preferentially equal . When mounting the bottle closure 1 on a bottleneck, the seal element 11 covers the transverse face and the internal rim line of the bottleneck, thereby ensuring sealing of the bottle. In a mounted state, the transition between the two steps 11.1, 11.2 of the. sealing element 11 occurs approximately two millimeters from the internal rim line of the bottleneck.

It is to be understood that while certain em- bodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific embodiments described and shown.

Claims

1. A bottle closure comprising a cap (2) with a transverse end wall (3) from which a substantially cy- lindrical external skirt projects (4) and a cover (5) for opening the bottle closure, which is preferably situated in the transverse end wall (3) of the cap (2), characterized in that the material of the cover (5) is less resistant to indentation than the material of the cap (2) .

2. A bottle closure according to claim 1, wherein the elongation of the material of the cover is several hundred percent, in particular 100 to 700 percent, of the elongation of the material of the cap.

3. A bottle closure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cover (5) is tamper-evident.

4. A bottle closure according to the preceding claims, wherein the cover (5) is situated in the transverse end wall (3) such that it is at least partly aligned with the transverse end wall (3) .

5. A bottle closure according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (5) is situated in the center of the transverse end wall (3) .

6. A bottle closure according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it also comprises a substantially cylindrical internal shaft (6), projecting from the transverse end wall (3) in the same direction as the external skirt (4), wherein the cover (5, 5.1, 5.2) has an axial mantle (5.2) that is bent in the same direction as the internal shaft '(6), the axial man- tie (5.2) being connected to the internal shaft (6).

7. A bottle closure according to claim 6, wherein the axial height of the internal shaft (6) is less than the axial height of the external skirt (4) .

8. A bottle closure according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (5) has a thickness of approximately 0.4 mm.

9. A bottle closure according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (5) is transparent.

10. A bottle closure according to any of the claims 1 to 9-, wherein the cover (5) is non-transparent and has a different color than the cap.

11. A bottle closure according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (5) has a marking for positioning an opening element.

12. A bottle closure according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (5) has a substantially circular marking for tearing off a part of the cover (5) .

13. A bottle closure, in particular according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a cap (2) with a transverse end wall (3) from which a substantially cylindrical external skirt (4) projects, said skirt (4) comprising ribs (7) which substantially run in the same direction as the axis (8) of the bottle closure (1) .

14. A bottle closure according to claim 13, wherein the thickness of the ribs (7) exceeds the thickness of the external skirt (4).

15. A bottle closure according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the external skirt (4) comprises an outer rim (9) being of greater thickness that the external skirt (4).

16. A bottle closure according to any of the claims 13 to 15, wherein an outer rim (9) of the external skirt (4) constitutes a wavy line.

17. A bottle closure according to claim 16, wherein each rib (7) connects to the wavy line (9), in particular to a peak and/or a valley of the wavy line.

18. A bottle closure, in particular according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a cap (2) with a transverse end wall (3) from which a substantially cy- lindrical external skirt (4) projects and an annular seal element (11), said seal element (11) being attached to the internal face of the transverse end wall (3) , wherein said seal element (11) comprises at least two steps (11.1, 11.2) of different axial heights.

19. A bottle closure according to claim 18, wherein the axial height of the steps (11.1, 11.2) in- creases as the distance to the center of the transverse end wall (3) increases.

20. A bottle closure according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the transition between the two steps (11.1, 11.2) occurs, when the bottle closure (1) is mounted on a neck of a bottle, approximately 2 mm from the internal rim line of the neck of the bottle.

21. A bottle closure according to any of the claims 18 to 20, wherein the material of the seal element (11, 11.1, 11.2) is less resistant to indentation than the material of the cap (2) .

22. A bottle closure according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the hardness of the cover material lies in the range of Shore A 30 to 90.