US3348718A

US3348718A - Bottle closure

Info

Publication number: US3348718A
Application number: US518708A
Authority: US
Inventors: Musy Charles
Original assignee: Bouchage Mecanique
Current assignee: Bouchage Mecanique
Priority date: 1965-01-20
Filing date: 1966-01-04
Publication date: 1967-10-24
Anticipated expiration: 1984-10-24
Also published as: NL127574C

Description

C. MUSY BOTTLE CLOSURE Oct. 24, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 4, 1966 INVENTOR.

C/M RLES M US) WWW ATTOR C. M USY BOTTLE CLOSURE Oct. 24, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 4, 1966 INVENTOR. CHARL 5 MUS) M/Z W 6% v ATTO E YS Oct. 24, 1967 C. M USY BOTTLE CLOSURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 4, 1966 INVENTOR.

CW/IRL 5 MUS) United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A metal cap of twist-off type is provided with a skirt which remains on the bottle, a cap separable from the skirt, perforations between cap and skirt the edges of which are aligned to take the thrust of application.

The present invention relates to closures for containers and particularly to a screw type closure cap which is inviolable because of a lower portion of the skirt of the cap which is breakably connected to the upper portion and crimped on the neck of the container so that the connection breaks when the cap is unscrewed for the first time. The lower portion of the skirt remains around the neck of the container when the upper part of the cap is unscrewed so that breakage of the connection between the two parts, by revealing when the container has been opened, deters unauthorized tampering with or pilferage of the contents of the container before it is initially opened by the person intended.

Inviolable closure caps of the type under consideration are known in the art. They are made of a suitable deformable material, such as aluminum foil in the form of a deep cup having a closed end and are partially preformed to have an elongated tubular skirt adapted to fit down over the open-ended neck of a container and be crimped in place. The containers for which these caps are used have an elongated cylindrical neck open at the outer end with exterior screw threads at the open end and an undercut downward facing annular shoulder below the screw threads. When the cap is fitted down over the neck, the skirt extends down past the screw thread to a point below an annular shoulder. The skirt is then crimped to produce screw threads therein mating with the screw threads on the neck and to crimp the lower portion of the skirt under the annular shoulder. The annular weakened portion of the skirt between the shoulder and the screw threads which provides the aforementioned breakable connection between the upper and lower parts of the skirt is formed by a plurality of perforations or cuts spaced apart in a line circumferentially around the skirt with narrow bridge portions between the upper and lower portions of the skirt. The bridge portions are intended to be broken when the two portions of the cap are moved relatively apart by unscrewing the cap and should therefore be quite fragile in order to break without having to apply excessive force to unscrew the cap and open the container.

When the partially preformed cap is fitted down in position over the neck of the container the bottom end of the skirt is forced down tightly over a flared portion of the neck below the annular shoulder and the pressure thus applied to the cap to push it down over the neck very often causes the annular weakened portion to buckle and break.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a partially preformed cap of the type under consideration in which the cuts and bridge portions of the annular weakened portion are formed in a manner to resist being buckled and broken when the cap is initially forced down over the neck and yet have the desired fragility to be broken by a convenient amount of force when the cap is unscrewed.

The objects of the invention are accomplished in general by a plurality of elongated horizontal cuts through the skirt spaced apart in a line circumferentially around the skirt with narrow bridge portions between in which edge portions of the opposite lips of each cut in abutting contact thereby to supplement the resistance of the bridge portions to compression.

In accordance with the present invention, the cuts are made and edge portions of the opposite lips of each cut are aligned and pressed into abutting contact. In the preferred method of practicing the invention, the cutting, aligning and the pressing of the aligned edges into abutting contact is performed in a single operation by an appropriate tool or tools with the cap supported on a suitable mandrel.

In one form of the invention the opposite lips of the cuts are offset relative to each other and the edges of the lips are in abutting contact along substantially their entire lengths a lateral amount which is less than the thickness of the skirt.

In another form the lips of each cut are offset and one of the lips is bulged laterally back toward the opposite lip with a portion of the edge of the bulged lip aligned and in abutting contact with the edge of the opposite lip an amount equal to at least a part of the thickness of the skirt. The bulged parts of the lips thus form ribs which resist compression of the cap at points along the cuts between the bridge portions. In a preferred embodiment of this form of the invention an annular bulge is provided in the skirt at the line of cuts so that the cuts, bridge portions and bulges or ribs are formed in the annular bulge, which thus preserves the inside diameter of the skirt in the zone in which some of the lips are offset by being bent toward the interior of the cap.

In still another form of the invention, the edges of the lips are brought together in abutting contact by pressing areas of'the skirt extending across each cut to cause the material of the cap to creep and move aligned edge portions of the cuts into abutting contact.

In all forms of the invention, the resistance of the bridge portions of the annular weakened portion to compression when the cap is press fitted over the container neck is supplemented by the portions of the edges of opposite lips of each out which are in abutting contact in accordance with the invention.

It will be appreciated that the present invention is also applicable when the annular weakened portion of the cap is provided by more than one circumferential line of cuts in the skirt.

The above and further objects and novel features of the present invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference for this latter purpose being had primarily to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views,

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing an embodiment of closure cap in accordance with the present invention crimped in sealing position on the neck of a container;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation similar to FIG. 1 but showing the upper body of the cap partially unscrewed and separated from the lower end;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of a partially preformed cap 3 of the invention ready to be fitted over the neck of a container;

FIG. 4 is a partial section along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3 in a horizontal plane through the ,cuts forming the annular weakened portion of the cap;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical section through part of a cap and through the form of cut in the skirt shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 in which the lower lips of the cuts are offset inwardly relative to the upper lips;

FIG. 6 is a section similar to FIG. 5, but showing an embodiment in which the skirt has an annular bulge formed therein at the line of cuts;

FIG. 7 is a section similar to FIG; 5, but showing the upper lip of the cut offset inwardly with respect to the lower lip;

FIG. 8 is a section similar to FIG. 7, but showing the upper lip offset outwardly;

FIG. 9 is a vertical section at right angles through a cut in the skirt of a cap showing an area of the skirt across the cut compressed to a thickness less than the thickness of the remainder of the skirt;

FIG. 10 is a section similar to FIG. 9, but showing an embodiment having two parallel lines of cuts with the vertical portion between the cuts offset laterally from the plane of the skirt an amount less than the thickness of the skirt;

FIG. 11 is a-section similar to FIG. 10 showing two parallel lines of cuts but showing an embodiment in which an area of the skirt across both cuts is compressed;

FIG. 12 is a side elevation of an embodiment of a partially preformed cap of the invention in which the skirt has an annular bulge at the line of cuts and the lips of each out are offset with a lateral bulge or rib in one of the lips of each cut extending from the lip with an edge thereof in abutting contact with the edge of the opposite lip;

FIG. 13 is a section along the line 1313 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged section along the line 14-14 of FIG. 12 taken at right angles through a bridge portion between cuts;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged section along the lines 15-15 of FIG. 12 taken at right angles through a lateral bulge or rib in the lower lip of a cut, whichis shown with an edge in abutting contact with the edge of the upper lip; and

FIG. 16 is an enlarged section along the lines 1616 of FIG. 12 taken at right angles through a cut at a point which is between a bridge portion shown in FIG. 15 and a bulge or rib shown in FIG. 15.

Referring to the drawings, the closure caps 10 of the present invention are made of deformable material such as aluminum foil which is suitably 0.25 mm. thick :10%. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 12, caps in accordance with the invention are preformed with a top 11 and an elongated tubular skirt 12 adapted to be fitted over and crimped on the cylindrical neck 13 of a container as illustrated in FIG. 1. An annular indentation 14 in the skirt 12 near the ,top holds a liner, such as a liner 15 of cork or other suitable material inside the top of the cap 10 to seal the open end of the neck 13 when the cap is in position.

The container necks 13 on which caps 10 of this invention are adapted to be .used are open at the outer top end with exterior screw threads 16 around the top and an annular undercut downward-facing shoulder 17 spaced down on the neck below the-threads 16. The skirts 12 of the cap 10 are elongated so that when a cap 10 is in position on a neck 13, the cap has a lower skirt portion extending below the screw threads. 12 and below the shoulder 17.The portion of theneck 13 below the shoulder 17 flares gradually outward and when the cap 10 is fitted down over the neck the bottom of the skirt is expanded over the flared portion of the neck so that downward pressure must be exerted on the cap to force it down into position. When the cap is in position it is crimped to form screw threads 18 in the upper end of the skirt mating with the screw threads 16 of the container neck 13 and indent the lower skirt portion under the annular shoulder 17, as indicated by the indentation 19 in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The cap 10 is provided with an annular weakened portion formed by a plurality of elongated horizontal cuts 20 through the skirt 12 and spaced apart, with narrow bridge portions 21 left between, in a line circumferentially around the skirt so as to be below the screw threads 18 and above the indentation 19 when the cap.

is crimped on the neck. The bridge portions 21 between the cuts 20 connect the portions of the skirt above and below the line of cuts and are made narrow so as to break without excessive force when the upper portion of the cap is unscrewed to open the container. The portion of the skirt below the line of cuts 20 is held down on the neck 13 by the indentation 19 under the shoulder 17 so that the bridge portions 21 break when the upper portion is moved relatively apart from the lower portion by unscrewing the cap. Thus, as seen inFIG. 2, when the cap is unscrewed the lower portion of the skirt is separated from the upper portion and remains on the container to indicate that the container has been opened.

In accordance with the present invention, the annular weakened portion ofv the skirt 12 is formed so that it withstands compressive pressure on the cap and is not broken prematurely when the cap 10 is pushed down over the neck 13 preparatory to being crimped on the.

neck. This is provided in general by having the upper and lower lips, 22 and 23 respectively, of each cut 20 in abutting edge-to-edge contact for at least a part of their lengthsLaterally the abutting edges may be in contact an amount less than the thickness of the skirt. In this way, the resistance of the bridge portions 21 to compression is supplemented by the abutting edge portions of the

lips

22 and 23 of each cut 20 which permits the cap 10 to be pressedonto the neck 13 without buckling and breaking the bridge portions 21; at the same time it does not impair the desired fragility of the annular weakened portion which allows it to break readily when pressure is applied to unscrew the cap 10.

theskirt 12-as by pushing the lower lip 23inward in this embodiment-the bridge portions 21 are given a.

greater degree of curvature than the skirt at the line of the cuts 20. That is, looking from the exterior of the cap 10, the bridge portions 21 are convex reiative to the overall curved surface of the skirt and thus have an added increment of rigidity to resist compression.

With at least portions of the edges of

opposite lips

22 and 23 of each cut in alignment as described, the cap 10 is compressed longitudinally a sufficient amount to close the cuts 20 until the aligned edge portions arev in abutting contact. The cap 10 is then in suitable partially preformed condition inaccordance with the invention to be pushed down over a container neck 13 to be crimped thereon. By thus placing the aligned edges in abutting contactbefore the cap is pressed onto the neck 13, the edges remain in abutting relation while the cap is being pressed down on the neck and provide the added strength desired when it is needed.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, an annular portion of the skirt 12 including the line of cuts 20 is bulged outward as indicated at 24. This annular bulge 24 enables the lower lips 23 to be offset to the interior of the cap without reducing the inside diameter of the cap at the line of cuts.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment in which the upper lips 22 are pressed inward relative to the lower lips 23. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the upper lip 23 is pressed outward. In both, as in the embodiments of FIGS. 36, the edges of the opposite lips are offset less than the thickness of the skirt. 7

FIG. 9 shows an embodiment in which the edges of

opposite lips

22 and 23 of the cuts 20 are brought into abutting contact by compressing areas of the skirt, which extend across the cuts 20, indicated at 25, to a thickness less than the thickness of the remainder of the skirt 12. This compression is accomplished by suitable rolling devices with the cap 10 supported on a mandrel and causes the material of the skirt, aluminum foil for example, to expand and creep until the edges of the cuts 20 come together. As shown, only the areas across the cuts, and not the bridge portions 21, are thus compressed.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show embodiments in which a second line of cuts 30 is made through the skirt 12 parallel to and coextensive with the line of cuts 20.

In the embodiment of FIG. 10, the portions 26 of the skirt 12 extending vertically between each pair of

parallel cuts

20 and 30 are offset so that the edges of opposite lips of each cut are offset an amount less than the thick ness of the skirt. Portions of the edges of opposite lips' are thus in alignment and the cap is compressed to bring the aligned edges into abutting contact.

In the embodiment of FIG. 11, as in the embodiment of FIG. 9, areas, indicated at 31, of the skirt 12 extending across both

cuts

20 and 30 in each parallel pair are compressed to bring the edges of the opposite lips into abutting contact.

FIGS. 1216 show a preferred embodiment of the invention in which edges of the

opposite lips

22 and 23 of the cuts 20 are in abutting contact at a number of spaced points along the cuts. In this embodiment, the lower lip 23 of each cut 20 is bent in toward the interior of the cap an amount greater than the thickness of the skirt, as illustrated in FIG. 16, and, as seen in FIGS. 13 and 15, a portion of the lip 23 is bulged laterally back out toward the upper lip 22 in the form of a bulge or rib 32 so that an edge portion 32a of the rib 32 is in alignment with an adjacent edge portion of the upper lip 22 an amount equal to at least a part of the thickness of the skirt. Then the cap is longitudinally compressed an amount to bring the aligned edge portions in abutting contact as shown in FIG. 15. As shown at 33, an annular portion of the skirt 12 including the line of cuts 20 is bulged outward and, as best seen in FIG. 16, permits the offsetting of the lower lips 23 toward the interior of the cap without reducing the inside diameter of the cap at the line of cuts.

Any number of spaced apart bulges or ribs 32 may be provided along each cut, but, in the preferred form, shown in FIGS. 12-16, a single rib 32 for each cut spaced midway between consecutive bridge portions 21 is suitable and provides the additional strength desired to resist damage to the bridge portions 21 when the cap 10 is pressed onto a container neck 13.

In the method of making an annular weakened portion in a cap 10 in accordance with the invention, the various steps are preferably performed in one continuous operation. For example, the formation of an annular bulge, the cutting, the alignment of the edges of opposite lips of each cut or the formation and alignment of the ribs 32, and longitudinal compression of the cap to bring the aligned edges into abutting contact are preferably performed as a single continuous operative step by applying a combination of appropirate cutting and rolling tools together and in sequence while the cap is supported on a suitable mandrel.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood gagement therewith, said cap having an elongated lower skirt adapted to extend below the threaded portion of said neck when the cap is in position thereon, said lower skirt having a plurality of elongated horizontal cuts therethrough spaced apart in a line circumferentially around the skirt with narrow bridge portions left between the cuts to provide breakable connections between the portions of the skirt above and below said line, and edge portions of the opposite lips of each cut being in abutting contact.

2. The cap of claim 1 in which the abutting edges of each out are laterally offset and are in abutting contact less than the thickness of the skirt.

3. The cap of claim 1 in which areas of the lower skirt between said bridge portions and extending across said cuts in a vertical direction are compressed toa thick ness less than the thickness of the remainder of the skirt.

4. The cap of claim 1 in which the edges of the lips of each cut are laterally offset and in which a portion of one of the lips is bulged laterally back toward the other lip with a portion of the edge of said bulged portion in abutting'contact with the edge of the opposite lip.

5. The cap of claim 5 in which said lateral bulges are all in the same direction and in which said skirt has an annular bulge coinciding with the circumferential line of cuts and bulging in the same direction as said lateral bulges.

6. A partially preformed tubular closure cap of deformable material adapted to be secured over the openended exteriorly screw-threaded neck of a container by being fitted down over said neck and crimped into engagement therewith, said cap having an elongated lower skirt adapted to extend below the threaded portion of said neck when the cap is in position thereon, said lower skirt having a plurality of pairs of parallel coextensive horizontal cuts therethrough, said pairs of cuts being spaced apart in a line circumferentially around the skirt with narrow bridge portions left between the cuts in each horizontal line to provide breakable connections between the portions of the skirt above and below said line, and edge portions of the opposite lips of each cut being in abutting contact.

7. The cap of claim 6 in which portions of the skirt extending from one cut to the other of each pair are laterally offset from the adjacent surfaces of the skirt with edge portions of the opposite lips of each cut in abutting contact laterally through the cut an amount less than the thickness of the skirt.

8. The cap of claim 6 in which areas of the lower skirt between said bridge portions and extending across said cuts in a vertical direction are compressed to a thickness less than the thickness of the remainder of the skirt.

9. A method of forming a breakably connected ring at the lower end of the elongated skirt of a partially preformed closure cap for a container, said cap being made of deformable material and adapted to be secured on an exteriorly screw-threaded neck of a container by being fitted down over said neck and crimped into engagement therewith, comprising making a plurality of elongated horizontal cuts through the skirt spaced apart in a line circumferentially around the cap, and aligning at least portions of the opposing edges of the lips of each cut in the plane of the skirt to provide aligned faces substantially normal to the axis of the skirt.

10. The method of claim 9 which includes offsetting the lips of each cut laterally with respect to each other an amount less than the thickness overlap of said aligned edges is laterally less than the thickness of the skirt.

of the skirt whereby the 1 11. The method of claim 9 which includes offsetting the lips of each cut laterally with respect to each other, bulging a portion of one lip of each cut laterally back toward the opposite lip until a portion of the edge of the bulged lip is aligned with a portion of the edge of each cut laterally outward toward the opposite lip, tov

align a portion of the edge of each laterally bulged portion with a portion of the edge of the opposite lip.

13. The method of claim 9 which includes compressing areas ofthe skirt extending across each of said cuts between the ends thereof to cause the material of the cap to creep until aligned portions of the edges of opposite lips of each cut are moved into abutting contact.

14. A method of forming a breakably connected security ring at the lowerend of the elongated skirt of a partially preformed closure cap for a container, said cap being made of deformable material and adapted to be secured on an exteriorly screw-threaded neck of a container by being fitted down over said neck and crimped into engagement therewith, comprising making a plurality of pairs of parallel coextensive elongated horizontal cuts through the skirt, said pairs being spaced apart in a line circumferentially around the cap, and aligning at least portions of the edges of opposite lips of each cut by pressing the metal between the cuts out'of alignment to a distance not exceeding the thickness of the metal of the cap, whereby the opposed edges of the cuts support one another in the direction parallel to the skirt.

15. The method of claim 14 in which portions of the skirt extending from one cut to the other of each pair are laterally offset from the adjacent surfaces of the skirt an amount less than the thickness of the skirt.

16. The method of claim 14 which includes compressing areas of the skirt extending across each of said cuts between the ends thereof to cause the material of the cap to creep until aligned portions of the edges of opposite lips of each cut are moved into abutting contact.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 975,914 11/1910 Werner. 1,295,168 2/1919 Hooker 220--27 2,056,778 10/1936 Fabrice 2l5-42 3,001,657 9/1961 Gamble 2l5-42 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

DONALD F. NORTON, Examiner.

Claims

1. A PARTIALLY PREFORMED TUBULAR CLOSURE CAP OF DEFORMABLE MATERIAL ADAPTED TO BE SECURED OVER THE OPENENDED EXTERIORLY SCREW-THREADED NECK OF A CONTAINER BY BEING FITTED DOWN OVER SAID NECK AND CRIMPED INTO ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH, SAID CAP HAVING AN ELONGATED LOWER SKIRT ADAPTED TO EXTEND BELOW THE THREADED PORTION OF SAID NECK WHEN THE CAP IS IN POSITION THEREON, SAID LOWER SKIRT HAVING A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED HORIZONTAL CUTS THERETHROUGH SPACED APART IN A LINE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AROUND THE SKIRT WITH NARROW BRIDGE PORTIONS LEFT BETWEEN THE CUTS TO PROVIDE BREAKABLE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE PORTIONS OF