IE54188B1 - Closures for containers - Google Patents

Abstract

A pilferproof closure, especially for use with non-refillable fitments, comprises a cap (1, 2) screw-threadedly attached to a container or a non-refillable fitment (4) affixed thereto, an annular frangible ring (3) rotationally connectable with the cap, e.g. by cooperating ribs (16, 34), and means (40) on the container or the member (4) causing breakage of the ring (3) upon rotation of the cap. When the cap is unscrewed, the annular ring is unscrewed with it until fractured by means of lugs (40) on the member (4). This indicates tampering.

Description

This invention relates to container closures, and especially to closures οΓ the so called pilferproor type.

Pilferproof closures arc.well known and widely 5 used, and their object is to provide visual evidence thot e.ontainers to which they have been applied have or have not been tampered with, for one reason or another. Pilferproof closures are made from both metal and plastics materials, the metal types being the more widely used. One known type comprises an ovorcapsule or sleeve, e.g, of lead/tin or shrunk plastics. Another well known type consists of a cap shell, unthreaded in the case of metal or pre-threaded in the case of plastics, to the bottom of which is attached by spaced frangible bridges a security or pilferproof ring. When the closure is applied to a container the security ring is deformed or shrunk below a retaining bead on the container, to prevent axial movement of the closure off the container.

When the closure is rotated to remove it from the container, the bridges fracture, thus indicating that the container has been openeJ.

In the spirits industry it has become standard practice to fit the spirits containers with non-refillable fitments. Such fitments comprise one-way valves which allow the dispensing of the fluid from the container but not the re-filling of the container. Thus, when a container filled with spirits is fitted with a non-reTiltable fitment, it becomes impossible to adulterate or dilute the contents of the container. One particular non-refillable fitment which has achieved considerable popularity is that described in U.K.Patent Specification No:1,170,237, known as the “Whittam fitment. Such a fitment comprises a valve body which fits within the neck of a container, an annular shoulder or flange which fits over the container neck rim, and a screw-threaded pouring spout through which the container contents are dispensed and to which is screw54188 threadedly attached a cap. The fitment is held on the container by means of a cowl, which is flanged over the annular shoulder and deformed into an annular recess on the container neck beneath the annular shoulder. It has become popular to cover non-refillable fitments such as that mentioned above with pilferproof closures. These are frequently of the aforementioned capsule type. A disadvantage of these is that they must be applied in a subsequent step to the primary closure application step.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved pilferproof closure. It is a particular object of the invention to provide such a closure which can be used in association with a non-refillable fitment.

According to the invention a closure for a container comprises a cap adapted for screw-threaded connection with the container or with a member affixed thereto and having spaced ribs at its open end, a frangible ring comprising an annulus from the periphery of which extends a cylindrical wall having spaced ribs on its inside surface for intermeshing engagement with the ribs on the cap such that the frangible ring is rotationally connectable with said cap, said frangible ring being provided with two or more weakened portions, and means on said container or said member affixed thereto causing breakage of said frangible ring upon rotation of said cap.

The screw-threaded cap may comprise a single cap member, or it may be a two-part cap, having an inner screw-threaded cap member, for connection with the container or the member affixed to the container, e.g., the screw-threaded portion of a non-refillable fitment and an outer cap member captively attached to the inner cap member and rotable therewith at least in the un.r. I 1 HH screwing direction. Thus, for example, the outer cap member may be provided with internal axial ribs or grooves interengaging with external grooves or ribs respectively formed on the inner cap member. Captive attachment of the cap members may be achieved by providing the inner cap member with an outwardly-directed beam or shoulder over which the outer cap member is axially pushed.

The frangible ring, which is separate from but connectable with the cap, is provided with two or more weakened portions, which may for example take the form of thin wall sections. Coupling of the frangible ring with the cap is provided by interengaging or intermeshing axially-extending ribs formed on the cap and the frangible ring. The intermeshing ribs are so positioned that when the cap is applied to the routin'nor the ribs intcrengage such IJiufc rotational movement of tlie cap is transmi Lted’to the frangible ring. When tbe cap is a two-part cap, tbe ribs on t.fm cap arc suitably formed an tin; oulcr cap member.

Breakage of tbe frangible ring may be accompli abed in several ways. Tor example, the ring may be provided with one or more inwardly-directed lugs or cam-shaped projections. Similar projections, outwardly-directed however, may be provided on tbe container neck, or on the fitment therein. Thus, when the cap io unscrewed, the frangible ring will also rotate in an unscrewing direction until the projection or projections on the frangible ring come into contact with the projection or projections on the container. Further unscrewing of the frangible ring then becoming impossible, the ring will break, thus providing visual evidence of the unscrewing of the cap. By initially forming the frangible ring in elliptical form, and then deforming it to place it on the container, it is retained on the container under tension, and springs off when broken.

The closure of the invention is applied to a container in the following manner; the frangible ring is first placed on the container neck, or on a fitment therein, and the screw cap is applied thereto. As the screw cap reaches the lowermost part of its travel, the screw cap and frangible ring come into rotational connection. Any attempt thereafter to remove the cap results in the breaking of the annular ring. When a two-part cap is used, the inner part is screwed to the container or fitment, and then the outer cap member is pushed axially onto the inner cap member, until the lower edge of the outer cap member snaps over the bead at the lower end of the inner cap member and comes into rotational coupling with the frangible ring.

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the present invention. In the drawings, Figure 1 is an exploded view of a cap according to tin; invention and a non-refi1 table fitment; Figure 2 ia a sectional elevation nt a cap covering a non-refi11 able fitment within the neck of a containerj riyure 3 ia a part-aeetional elevation of an miter cap mcmher; riyure 4 is a part-sectional elevation of an inner cap member; and figure 5 is a plan view of a frangible ring.

Referring to tlie drawings, and firstly to figure 1, the closure of the invention comprises an outer cap 1, an inner cap 2 and a frangible ring 3. The closure is used wi.th a non-refillable fitment 4, similar in general construction to that described in U.K.Patent Specification 1,178,237, but modified as will be described hereinafter.

The outer cap 1 is shown in greater detail in Figure 3. It has a disc top 10 depending from the periphery of which is a cylindrical skirt 11.. The skirt 11 is provided with knurling 12, for ease of manual grasping, and with a series of internal radially-extending ribs 13. The inner wall of the skirt 11 is also provided with an annular'ledge 14. At the lower end of skirt 11 is a ring 15 of thinner cross section than the remainder of the skirt, ring 15 being provided with a series of equi-spaced ribs 16.

The inner cap, see Figure 4, has a disc top 20 and a depending annular skirt 21 provided with a series of spaced outwardly-extending ribs 22 For engagement with the ribs 13 of the outer cap member 1. The inner cap member is internally screw-threaded, at 23, and' is provided beneath the ribs 22 with an outwardly-directed flexible arcuate rim 24.

Figure 5 shows the frangible ring 3 in plan. It comprises a radially-extending substantially annular disc 30 frqin the periphery of which a cylindrical wall 31 extends upwardly. The inside surface of wall 31 is provided with spaced axially-extending ribs 32.

In tlie 188 cmhod j men I shown, ribs 32 «rc provided in two separate series, each series oeeupying approximately a quarter of I lie internal periphery of wall 31. Ihe disc 30 is (ermed, lit di ametrical ly opposed positions, with two genera] 1 y-triangular shaped inwardly-directed prntuherariee:. feruling lugs 33. Immediately adjacent each lug 33 tlie disc 30 is interrupted and the thickness of Ihe wall 31 is reduced Lo give two diaine) rieally-opposod lines of weakness 36 at whicli the ring 3 may be caused to break, 1θ as hereinafter described.

In the embodiment illustrated, tlie closure of the invention is used in association witli a non-refiliable fitment 4, whicli is similar to that illustrated in O.K. Specification 1,178,237, but differs in that it is provided with four outwardly-extending lugs 40, whose purpose is to engage lugs 33 on the ring 3. Thus, the fitment 4 has a valve body 41 to which is attached a screw-threaded upper portion 42 at the base of which is an annular shoulder 43 which merges with an outwardly20 directed flariqe 44 adapted to overlie the rirn of a container mouth into which the fitment is fitted.

The closure is assembled on the neck of a container 50 in tlie manner shown in figure 2. Thus, a scaling gasket 51 is placed over the mouth of the container neck and the fitment 4 (shown only in outline in Figure 2) is placed with its valve body within the neck of the container and its flange-44 resting on tlie seal 51 arid overlying the container mouth. The fitment 4 is firmly held in place by the application of a cowl, in known manner.

Two different forms of cowl are shown in Figure 2; that on tlie left-hand side is a metal cow] 52, and holds the fitment 4 in place hy means of a flange 53 and a circumferential portion 54 whicli is deformed into an annular recess· 55 provided on the container neck. On the right35 hand side of figure 2 is shown a plastics cowl 56 which lias an inwardly-directed flange 57 overlying flange 44, 4 1 Β 8 and an annular web 58 seated beneath a bead 59 formed on the container neck Ring 3 is then placed over the screw-threaded upper part of the fitment 4, and rests on the flange (53 nr 57) of Lhe cowl (52 or 56). The ring 3 is preferably rotated until Lhe lugs 33 arc in contact with corresponding lugs 40 for reasons to be explained below. Inner cap 2, containing a sealing gasket 50 is screw-threadedly alI ached lo the upper portion 42 of tin; fitment 4. Outer cap 1 is u pushed vertically downwards over inner cap 2, the ribs on the inside of the outer cap passing between adjacent pairs of ribs 22 on the outside of the inner cap. During this movement of the outer cap ledge 14 deforms and passes over rim 24, which then snaps back behind it. Any attempt thereafter to remove outer cap 1 axially from inner cap 2 is prevented by the inter-reaction between ledge 14 and rim 24. As outer cap 1 reaches the end of its telescopic passage over inner cap 2, the ribs 16 at the bottom of outer cap 1 enter the channels formed between adjacent •θ pairs of ribs 32 formed on the wall 31 of ring 3.

Removal of the closure from the container 50 is achieved in the normal manner. Thus, the outer cap 1 is manually grasped and rotated in a counter-clockwise manner. This has the effect of rotating inner cap 2, by virtue of the meshing interaction between ribs 13 and ribs 22 on the outer and inner caps respectively. Rotation of the outer cap’1 also causes rotation of the ring 3, hy virtue of the intermeshing of ribs 16 and 32 on the outer cap and ring 3 respectively. Rotation of ring 3 -50 brings the lugs 33 into contact with the lugs 40 on the fitment 4. As the closure is further unscrewed, reaction between the lugs 33 and 40 causes the ring 3 to break along one or both of the lines of weakness 34. (If Lhe lugs 33 are already in contact with the lugs 40, aa men35 tioned above to be preferred, there is little or no opportunity for the intermeshed ribs 16 and 32 to become disengaged before the coacting lugs contact each other.) 418 8 liiiitj 3 t-un then lie removed mid tin: closure unscrewed in lhe normal manner. The fact I hal Lhe vintj 3 io broken or js removed indicates that the closure lias been unscrewed from Lite coni ai nor. lhe mechanism of fracture of ring 3 may follow any suitable pattern. Thus, for example, as lugs 33 contact lugs 40 there may be a camming action as lugs 40 rifle up the ramp faces of lugs 33, the ring 3 thus being deformed and stretched until breakage occurs. Alternatively, tlie shape of the lugs on the fitment 4 and on Lhe ring 3 may he such .that continued unscrewing of the closure with the lugs in contact puts the lines of weakness in the ring under such stress that they break without otherwise deforming the ring.

In a preferred embodiment the frangible ring 3 springs away from the container upon fracture. This again may be achieved in a number of ways. For example, it is preferred that the ring should be moulded or subsequently biassed .in ellipti'cal shape. When it is then placed on tlie container, the lugs on the container, or on the associated fitment, hold the ring in substantially circular form, but the ring is thus under tension, allowing it to spring away from the container on facture. Alternatively, the ring may be moulded with radially inwardly directed fingers which contact the container neck or associated fitment and are, again, under tension.

Although the ring 3 in the described embodiment has two diametrically opposed lines of weakness, it is intended that any number which will cause efficient fracture of the ring, in conjunction with the number and spacing of the reaction lugs on the container/fitment is within the scope of this invention. The ribs 32 are, as shown, arranged in two separate series. Preferably there is an equal number of scries of ribs 32 and lines of weakness 34, and most suitably each series of ribs 32 occupies not more than half of the arc between adjacent lines of weakness. Thus, in the case where there arc four lines of weakness, cacti series of ribs on ring 3 preferably occupies, no more than an eighth of the internal periphery of the wall 31. In principle«each series of ribs 32 can consist of a single rib. Importantly, each series of ribs 32 is placed in advance of the adjacent line of weakness, in tlie unscrewing direction (counterclockwise as viewed in figure 5) so that the portion of tlie ring on the trailing side of tlie line of weakness is not positively driven hy tlie cap during unscrewing. θ All the components of the closure of this invention are suitably moulded from plastics material, e.g. polyethylene’, polystyrene, and can be used in association with both plastics and glass containers. When the closure is a one-piece closure, as opposed to the two-part cap of the illustrated embodiment, the frangible ring is suitably made of a relatively soft material, e.g. high density polyethylene, to enable the ribs of the closure to ride over the ribs formed on the ring during application of tlie closure. This may also be achieved by suitably -θ profiling the ribs on the closure and on the ring so that the ribs on the closure ride over those on the ring during application of the closure but not during unscrewing thereof. For example, the ribs of the closure and/or on tlie ring may have a profile similar to those described in our U.K.Patent Application No:7900354.

It is an important advantage of the present invention that it enables a non-refillable fitment to be assembled with the pilferproof closure of the inve.ntion and then applied, as a total assembly, to a container in a single application .stage. Thus, an assembly may he produced (see Figures 1 and 2) consisting of the outer and inner caps 1 and 2 respectively, the ring 3, the fitment 4 and the cowl 52 and 56. This may then be applied to a filled container 50 onto which has been placed the scaling gasket 51. When the cowl is n metal cowl 52 the only remaining step is to roll the wall of the cowl into the annular recess 50. When the cowl is a plasties cowl 4 1 8 8 tl tup ρι-ΐϋϋίΐιπ: iu applied Le seat the unnular web 5ft beneelh the head 59,

Claims (6)

1. A closure for a container comprising a cap adapted for screw-threaded connection with the container or with a member affixed thereto and having spaced ribs at 5 its open end, a frangible ring comprising an annulus from the periphery of which extends a cylindrical wall having spaced ribs on its inside surface for intermeshing engagement with the ribs on the cap such that the frangible ring is rotationally connectable with said 10 cap, said frangible ring being provided with two or more weakened portions, and means on said container or said member affixed thereto causing breakage of said frangible ring upon rotation of said cap.

2. A closure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the screw15 threaded cap comprises an inner screw-threaded cap member, for connection with the container or the member affixed to the container, and an outer cap member captively attached to the inner cap member and rotatable therewith at least in the unscrewing direction. 20

3. A closure as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein each weakened portion is a thin wall section of the ring.

4. A closure as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 in which the ring is provided with one or more inwardlydirected lugs or cam-shaped projections and the neck 25 of the container or the member affixed thereto is provided with outwardly-directed projections coacting with those on the ring.

5. A closure as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the member affixed to the container comprises 30 a non-refillable valve fitment.

6. A closure according to claim 1 for a container, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.