[0001] The invention relates to a hermetically-closing cap for containers.
[0002] In particular, the containers referred to are of any shape or dimension, having the
inside accessible through a mouth, generally arranged on a superior part of the container.
An example of such a type of container is a carafe, used for liquid commestible products,
and equipped with a beak for dispensing the contents of the said container.
[0003] The prior art teaches caps for containers of this type generally cylindrical or conical
in shape, which realise the closure by exerting pressure against the mouth of the
container; some of these caps however either do not give a guarantee of hermetic closure,
or are impractical since they require of the operator a certain effort both to achieve
closure and especially to open.
[0004] An aim of the present invention is thus to provide a cap which is of simple construction,
which permits collect use for an almost unlimited number of operations, both closing
and opening, and which, with the collect dimensions, is usable for containers with
whatever shape and size, in particular for a carafe-type container.
[0005] One advantage of the present invention is that of providing a cap which achieves
a hermetic closure and opening of the container with simple and rapid operations.
[0006] A further advantage of the cap is that of preventing the seal gasket from "sticking"
to the cap or the container.
[0007] A still further advantage of the invention is represented by the fact that the cap
is easy to clean, since its component parts are separable among themselves, with simple
manual operations. These aims and advantages are all attained by the cap object of
the present invention, as it is characterised in the claims, which can be used on
containers whose inside is accessible through a neck, and which is characterised by
the fact that it comprises:
- at least two elements, one internal element and one external element, coaxially coupled
by means of a connection which permits axial movements;
- a trunco-conical surface, made on one of the said two elements, which exhibits its
smaller-diameter portion near to a rotation surface, belonging to one or to the other
of the said two elements;
- an annular-shaped contrast edge, made on the element not bearing the said trunco-conical
surface, and having a smaller diameter that the diameter of the mouth of the container;
- a ring-shaped elastic gasket, which internal part encircles, in an initial position,
the said rotation surface; the said ring-shaped elastic gasket being predisposed to
interact with the said contrast edge and having, in the said initial position, an
external diameter which is smaller that the diameter of the mouth of the said container
and internal diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the said contrast edge.
Further advantages and characteristics of the present invention will better emerge
from the detailed description that follows, made with reference to the accompanying
drawings, which represent a preferred embodiments here illustrated in the form of
a non-limiting example, and in which:
- Figure 1 shows a vertical elevation section of the cap;
- Figure 2 shows the same section as figure 1 with the cap inserted on the mouth of
a container in a closed position, with the element 1 turned at 90 degrees with respect
to the position of figure 1. The cap comprises an internal element 1 and an eternal
element 2, distinct between themselves, made in plastic material; it further comprises
a ring-shaped elastic gasket 4 made in rubber. These elements 1 and 2 are assembled
between themselves by connecting the internal element 1 internally to the external
element 2 and inserting between them the elastic gasket 4 in a way which will be better
described hereinafter, before inserting the cap itself on the mouth 6 of a container.
[0008] The external element 2 is equipped with an edge 7 which permits the cap to rest on
the mouth 6 of the container; it further comprises a truncoconical surface 5 which
is connected with a rotation surface that, in particular, is constituted by a cylindrical
surface 12. Both of these surfaces are made externally on the external element 2.
[0009] The external element 2 further comprises an annular striking surface 8 which is made
on the inferior part of the external element 2. The internal element 1 comprises an
external peripheral thread which, on screwing on to a corresponding internal thread
made on the external element 2, constitutes a threaded coupling 3 between elements
1 and 2 allowing them reciprocal rotation and axial movement.
[0010] The internal element 1 comprises a contrast edge 10, annular in shape, which has
a smaller diameter than the diameter of the mouth 6 of the container and which interacts
with the elastic gasket 4, forcing the said elastic gasket 4 to move during the relative
clockwise-direction rotation between the internal element 1 and the external element
2, along the tract of surface which is more-or-less truncoconical; it further comprises
a contrast surface 9 which, following the axial movement between the two elements,
strikes against the striking surface 8 made on the internal element 1 and limits the
degree of rotation in clockwise direction of the internal element 1 with respect to
the external element 2, that is the degree of axial movement of the one with respect
to the other.
[0011] The internal element 1 further comprises a handle 11 activatable from the outside
of the cap, which allows the operator easily to turn the internal element 1 with respect
to the external element 2.
[0012] The cap is assembled by screwing the internal element 1 internally to the external
element 2, after having disposed the elastic gasket 4 to encircle the cylindrical
surface 12. In this initial position, in which the elastic gasket 4 is kept away from
the contrast edge 10, the elastic gasket 4 exhibits an external diameter which is
smaller than the container mouth 6 diameter, and an internal diameter which is smaller
than the diameter of the said contrast edge 10.
[0013] The elastic gasket 4, following the clockwise screwing-up of the internal element
1 with respect to the external element 2, is pushed by the contrast edge 10 along
the truncoconical surface 5, from the said initial position to a position in which
the elastic gasket 4 is compressed between the cap and the mouth 6 of the container;
in this position the elastic gasket 4 guarantees the container mouth seal.
[0014] The frictional generated between the edge 7 and the mouth of the container, exerting
a slight pressure during the screwing-up operation, pemits the rotation of the internal
element 1 with respect to the external element 2 without creating rotation of the
whole cap with respect to the mouth 6 of the container.
[0015] By rotating the internal element 1 with respect to the eternal element 2 in an anticlockwise
direction, the elastic gasket 4 spontaneously returns, thanks to its elasticity, into
the initial seating constituted by the cylindrical surface 12. In this way, even when
there are substances such as sugar present, which might make the elastic gasket 4
sticky, there is never any sticking of the elastic gasket 4 to the container or vice-versa.
[0016] To separate the various parts among themselves, it is enough to unscrew, in an anticlockwise
direction, the internal element 1 up until the two elements detach one from the other;
it should be noted that such a rotation, contrary to a clockwise rotation, is not
limited by any striking element. It is thus extremely easy to effect the cleaning
of the various parts of the cap which are successively reconnected among themselves
as indicated above.
1. A hermetically-closing cap for containers, to be used on containers which inside is
accessible through a mouth, characterised by the fact of comprising:
- at least two elements, an internal element (1) and an external element (2), coaxially
coupled by meals of a connection which permits axial movements;
- a trunco-conical surface (5), made on one of the said two elements (1 and 2), which
exhibits its smaller-diameter portion near to a rotation surface, belonging to one
or to the other of the said two elements (1 and 2);
- an annular-shaped contrast edge (10), made on the element (1 or 2) not bearing the
said trunco-conical surface (5), and having a smaller diameter than the diameter of
the mouth (6) of the container;
- a ring-shaped elastic gasket (4), which internal part encircles, in an initial position,
the said rotation surface; the said ring-shaped elastic gasket (4) being predisposed
to interact with the said contrast edge (10) and having, in the said initial position,
an external diameter which is smaller that the diameter of the mouth (6) of the said
container and internal diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the said contrast
edge (10).
2. A cap as in claim 1, characterised by the fact that the said connection between the
said internal element (1) and the said external element (2) is constituted by a threaded
coupling (3).
3. A cap as in claim 1 characterised by the fact that the external element (2) exhibits
an edge (7) conformed in such a way that it rests on the mouth (6) of the said container.
4. A cap as in claims 2 and 3, characterised by the fact that the said ring-shaped elastic
gasket (4), the said truncoconical surface (5) and the said contrast edge (10) are
conformed in such a way that, when the said edge (7) is resting on the mouth (6) of
the container, the elastic gasket (4), following a screwing-up in one direction of
the internal element (1) with respect to the external element (2), is pushed by the
contrast edge (10) along the truncoconical surface (5) from the said initial position
to a position in which the elastic gasket (4) is compressed between the cap and the
mouth (6) of the container; the said elastic gasket (4) being further conformed and
arranged so as to return spontaneously, following a screwing in the opposite direction,
into the said initial position.
5. A cap as in claim 1, characterised by the fact of being equipped with at least two
striking surfaces (8 and 9), made one on each of the said two elements (1 and 2),
conformed in such a way as to limit the degree of axial movement, in one direction,
of the two elements (1 and 2).
6. A cap as in claim 2, characterised by the fact that the said internal element (1)
is equipped with a handle (11), activatable from the outside of the cap, which permits
of effecting the rotation of the internal element (1) with respect to the external
element (2).
7. A cap as in claim 1, characterised by the fact that the said truncoconical surface
(5) and the said rotation surface both belong to the said external element (2); the
said rotation surface being constituted by a cylindrical surface (12), connected to
the said truncoconical surface (5).