WO1995029101A1

WO1995029101A1 - Tamper indicating resealable closure

Info

Publication number: WO1995029101A1
Application number: PCT/IB1995/000251
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ronald L. Kelly; Michael L. Price
Original assignee: Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc.
Priority date: 1994-04-25
Filing date: 1995-04-10
Publication date: 1995-11-02
Also published as: IL113214A0; AU2082095A; JO1857B1

Abstract

A reclosable can top closure (4) includes a fixed insert (8) having a pouring aperture, and a twist-to-open closure element initially installed in the aperture. Breakable tamper-indicating means (10) connect the closure element to an anchor (7) attached to the insert, or to the top of the can. After the can has been opened, a flexible tether (5) prevents the closure element from being lost or discarded.

Description

TAMPER INDICATING RESEALABLE CLOSURE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to containers generally, and more particularly to a resealable beverage can closure.

Various kinds of resealable closures are known for most types of containers. For example, plastic or metal screw caps for bottles or threaded jars are widely in use. However, until now, no resealable closures have proven practical for beverage cans.

A resealable can closure for plastic cans is described in WO88/00560. A closure plug having a bayonet-type thread is provided in accordance with this publication, which is adapted to engage a generally circular aperture in the can top. The closure includes a top plate which overlies the aperture of the can top in the closed position. The closure is secured to the can top by means of a tether which is sufficiently long to permit easy rotation of the cap. A tamper-evident weld spot is provided, which tacks the tether onto the can top. Movement of the plug will break this weld to provide evidence of such movement. The welding process is rather time consuming and has to be done as a separate step when the closure is already applied to the can top.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to avoid the above disadvantages, in particular, by providing a closure which can be simply attached to a can top and provides tamper indication.

A further purpose of the invention is to enable the simple and efficient mounting of a tamper indicating device on a can top.

The above objects are obtained by a closure assembly according to the features of claim 1. The closure element is connected to an anchor by breakable tamper indicating means. The anchor is fixed to the can top when the closure element is installed in its aperture. The closure element is twisted to open the can, and the anchor is non-rotatable, so that upon initial opening the tamper indicating members will break.

In a preferred embodiment the closure is secured against loss from the can top by means of a flexible connecting member tethering the closure element to the can top. The assembly of such a can closure is especially easy if one end of the connecting member is connected to the anchor, so that only one element (the anchor) has to be attached to the can top. The tether is arranged and dimensioned in such a way that it permits sufficient rotation of the closure element to the open position.

According to the invention, the closure can be fixed in the can top in a particularly simple way if a plastic insert is provided which can be installed into an opening in the can top and which defines the pouring aperture.

The closure according to the invention can be made in a particularly rational way if the anchor is fixed on the plastic insert.

It is possible to injection mold the closure element, the anchor and the tamper indicating means together as a single plastic component preferrably the anchor is connected to the closure element by a number of breakable bridges. If a connecting member is used to tether the closure to the can top, this may be an integral part of said single plastic component as well.

The closure according to the invention can be reduced to two components if an extension is provided on the plastic insert onto which the anchor can be attached.

The connecting member and the anchor can also be connected to the can top or the extension by means of welding or gluing.

Alternatively, the anchor may be connected with the exten¬ sion by a snap connector.

Particularly easy handling, primarily on initial opening — during which the tamper indicating means must be separated — is attained by providing a lever arm or tab on the closure element. In a preferred embodiment one radially outwardly extending lever arm is provided on the closure element. Handling of the opened closure element is particularly facilitated by providing an arrangement for accepting the container rim. In this way, after opening, the closure element can be attached onto the container rim so that is does not inhibit pouring.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is more closely described in the following description, and shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a plan view of a closure embodying the invention; Figure 2 in a simplified cross-sectional view of a can top, taken on the plane A - A in Fig. 1; Figures 3 - 5 are plan views of the can top according to Fig. 1, showing the closure element in sequential positions during opening; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a modified closure; Figure 7 is a plan view of a can top with a modified closure; Figure 8 is a slightly modified embodiment of a closure according to Figs. 1 - 5; Figure 9 show the closure of Fig. 8 in a schematic representation, with an attached closure element; and Figure 10 depicts a further modified embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A closure 1 embodying the invention is shown, in Figs. 2 - 4, affixed on a can top 2 bounded by a container rim 17. The closure 1 has a closure element 4 which is fastened by means of a bayonette type connection 14 to form a gas tight seal in an insert 8. The insert is preferably made of plastic, but could be a metal piece, or even a suitably deformed portion the can top. The insert 8 delineates a pouring aperture 3 into which the closure element 4 is installed, and through which liquid can flow after the closure element 4 has been removed.

An anchor 7 is permanently affixed to the can top. The anchor 7 is affixed by a pin (Fig. 1) to an extension 12 (Figs. 1, 4 and 5) extending from the plastic insert 8. The pin 11 extends through a hole 13 in the anchor 7 and is flattened at its upper end through heating in such a way that the anchor 7 is permanently affixed to the plastic insert 8. The closure element 4 is fastened to the anchor by tamper indicating means preferably comprising, in the embodiment of Figs. 1 - 5, three bridges 10.

A lever arm 9 is formed on the closure element 4. To open the closure, one grasps the closure element 4 by the lever arm 9 and rotates it in a counterclockwise direction so that — see Fig. 4 — the tamper indicating means is first of all ruptured, and thus the initial opening of the closure 1 is reliably indi¬ cated. After rotation through approximately 35 degrees, the bayonette connection 14 disengages so that the closure element 4 can be lifted upwards and out of the aperture. Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 5, the closure remains attached to the anchor 7 by the connecting member 5 and is effectively tethered to the can top 2.

The plastic insert 8 and the extension 12 are preferably formed as a single injection molded component. The closure element 4, the connecting member 5 and the anchor 7 are likewise formed as a single piece.

During manufacture, the closure element 4 is preferably just inserted into the plastic insert 8 and then the assembled pieces are installed in the can end. Alternatively, the plastic insert 8 can be installed in the can end and then the closure element 4 may be inserted.

Fig. 6 shows a modified embodiment 21, wherein a lever arm 29 is provided on the closure element 24, and a downwardly pro¬ truding pin 31 is attached to the lever arm 29, the pin being provided with barbs. The pin 31 is pressed into a complementary hole 33, where it is retained by the barbs. Pin 31 and hole 33 thus form a snap connection 35 in place of the swaged or flat¬ tened connection described above. Multiple helical threads 34 are provided in place of the bayonette type connection, said multiple threads making it possible to close or open the closure element relative to the plastic insert 28 by twisting it approximately 30 degrees. Otherwise, the closure element 24 is like the closure element 4 of Figs. 1 - 5. The plastic insert 28 is installed, as before, in a can top 22. The lever arm facilitates manipulation of the closure.

Fig. 7 shows an embodiment wherein a separate plate 52 is glued separately onto a connecting point 51 on the can top. Accordingly, the extension 12, according to Figs. 1 - 5 is not required and the closure element 4 is, in the closed position, connected directly with the plate 52 by means of the bridge 50. The plastic insert 48 is otherwise formed analogously to Figs. 1 - 5, and defines the pouring aperture 43.

A connecting member 45 is provided on the closure element 44 which in turn is tethered, at a connecting point 56, to the can top, in order to secure the closure element 44 against loss. The connecting points 51 and 56 can be attached by welding, hot- melts, melting-on, or in any other suitable way.

The embodiments according to Figs. 8 - 10 correspond to a large extent with the embodiments according to Figs. 1 - 5. However, a fastening means 63 is, in each embodiment provided on the closure element 64, whereby the closure element 64 can be fixed on the container rim 17 after opening. In the embodiment of Figs. 8 and 9, a slit 65 is provided in the lever arm 9. The width of the slit is somewhat less than the wall thickness of the container rim 17. Since the plastic material of the closure element 64 is flexible, the slit 65 can spread slightly during attachment to the container rim 17, so that the closure element 4 clamps onto the container rim 17 and thus will not interfere with pouring or drinking.

In order to reseal the can, the closure element is simply removed from the container rim 17 and placed in the pouring aperture 3 and secured there. As shown in Fig. 9, the connecting member 5 is sufficiently long to enable the closure element 64 to reach the container rim 17. In the embodiment according to Fig. 10, the fastening means 63 comprises two clamp type protrusions 66, 67, which between them form a slit 65 for engaging the can rim 17. The protrusions 66 and 67 are injection molded in one piece from a flexible plastic material. The closure element 64, as in Fig. 9, can be clamped on the container rim by sliding the slit 65 over the container rim.

Inasmuch as the invention is subject to modifications and variations, the foregoing description and accompanying drawings should not be regarded as limiting the invention, which is defined by the following claims and various combinations thereof.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A closure assembly for closing the pouring aperture of a can top, said closure assembly comprising a closure element to be installed in the aperture and having connecting means shaped to connect the closure to the aperture by turning the closure element from an open position to a sealing position and an anchor to be attached to the top of the can, which anchor is connected to the closure element by breakable tamper indicating means.

2. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein said closure element, said connecting member, said anchor, and said breakable tamper-indicating means are a single-piece plastic element.

3. The closure assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the closure has a lever-arm extending radially from the closure element.

4. The closure assembly according to claim 3, wherein the breakable tamper-indicating means are connected to said lever- arm.

5. The closure assembly according to one of the claims 1 - 4, further comprising a flexible connecting member tethering said closure element to the anchor, said flexible connecting member having sufficient length and flexibility that, once the tamper-indicating means is broken, the closure element may be rotated to its open position and removed from the aperture a distance sufficient to allow liquid to pour unobstructed from said aperture.

6. The closure assembly according to claim 4, wherein the connecting member is connected to the lever-arm.

7. A can closure comprising a closure assembly according to one of the claims 1 - 6, the closure element of which is installed in the pouring aperture of a can top.

8. The closure according to claim 7, f rther comprising a hollow plastic insert, said insert being attached to and having a hermetic fit within said can top and defining said aperture.

9. The closure according to claim 8, wherein said anchor is connected to said plastic insert.

10. The closure according to claim 8 or 9, wherein said plastic insert has an extension to which said anchor is connected.

11. The closure according to claim 10, wherein the anchor is glued or welded to said extension.

12. The closure according to claim 10, wherein the anchor is mechanically fastened to the plastic insert.

13. The closure according to claim 12, wherein the anchor and the extension are connected by a snap-on connector.

14. A closure for a can top having a circular rim and a pouring aperture, said closure comprising a closure element fit in a sealing manner in said aperture, said closure element being rotatable in said aperture from a sealing position to an open position, a flexible connecting member tethering said closure element to the can top, means for mechanically fastening said closure element to said rim in its opened position, said flexible connecting member being so constructed and arranged that the closure element may be rotated in its opening position and removed from the aperture a distance sufficient to allow liquid to pour unobstructed from said aperture, and means for fastening of the closure element to the said rim.

15. A closure according to claim 14, wherein the means for fastening the closure element to the rim comprises an element having a flexible slit by which the closure element may be attached to the rim.

16. A closure according to claim 15, wherein portions of the slit walls have a distance which is smaller than the thickness of the rim.

17. A closure according to claim 16 further comprising a lever arm, said arm extending radially from the closure element, said slit being formed in said lever.

18. A closure according to one of the claims 14 - 17, wherein said closure element is connected by one or more breakable tamper-indicating means to an anchor which is non-rotatably attached to the top of the can.