[0001] This invention relates to an improved security stopper, of the type comprising an
integral moulded material, preferably plastics, body used as a screw cap.
[0002] Security stoppers are known which comprise a portion which may be removed from the
rest of the stopper, the parts becoming separated when the stopper is unscrewed. This
type of stopper comprises essentially an upper portion forming the main body thereof,
and which in practice is the genuine stopper, formed by a hollow cylinder of revolution
open at the lower end and provided with an outwardly projecting screw thread on the
inner sidewall thereof. A circular skirt is attached to the stopper body. The connection
between both components is limited to a number of points or threads which break when
the stopper is unscrewed. To this end said skirt includes a number of projections
or protuberances located on the inner portion thereof which, when the stopper is screwed
on, should be held under the arcuate retaining ridge with which bottlenecks are provided
In this way, when the stopper is unscrewed upwardly, since the skirt cannot follow
because of the engagement of the projections or protuberances thereof with the bottleneck
ridge, is when the threads joining the seal components break
[0003] It is a necessary condition that the projections localized on the stopper skirt
should be able to yield without the joining threads to the stopper as such breaking,
so as to become located, when screwing on, below the annular projection of the bottleneck.
[0004] At the present time, in bottlenecks where the outside diameter of the ridge and the
outside diameter of the thread are the same or very similar, the operation of the
stopper skirt projections is hindered because not only do they have to move over,
due to their resilience, the ridges of the bottleneck, but also the whole of the thread.
[0005] To improve the operation of the traditional security stoppers, the stopper of the
present invention has been devised and provides as main advantage the fact that the
projections on the inside of the skirt attached to the stopper are formed by protuberances
which may take on different forms, but which are essentially characterized in that
they are hollowed out in the outside/inside direction that is, on a skirt, for example,
1 mm thick, the inward projection of said protuberances has a wall thickness of 0.3
mm to 0.5 mm, for example, whereby said arcuate or semispherical protuberances, among
other advantages, have the power of yielding easily when the stopper is being screwed
on and easily pass over the thread area and the ridge area in the opposite direction
to the bottleneck, whereas they oppose sufficient resistance when the stopper is
unscrewed to cause breakage of the points or threads joining the skirt to the stopper
body.
[0006] To facilitate the explanation, the specification is accompanied by drawings wherein
one embodiment of an improved security stopper according to the principles of the
claims has been shown as an illustrative, non limiting example
[0007] In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a side elevation view, partly in cross section of the stopper of the
model.
Figure 2 is a detail in cross section showing the special configuration of the seal
skirt protuberances.
[0008] With reference to the figures, there is to be seen a security stopper of the type
comprising a main body, generally referenced with 1 and a break-away skirt 2, both
obtained in the same moulding stage, said components being associated by points or
filaments 3, of the same weakened material, said skirt including means devised to
be situated below the ridge on the bottleneck.
[0009] The stopper is characterized in that the said means included in the skirt 2 are
formed by respective holes or hollowed out or portions 4, formed in the outer surface
of the skirt, which holes or hollowed out portions generate respective protuberances
5, which extend radially from the inner surface of the skirt, formed by fine thin
walls to facilitate yielding, so as to be able to move resiliently without difficulty
over the whole of the bottleneck thread and the retaining ridge thereof.
[0010] The lower edge of the sidewall of the stopper body is provided with castellations
6 which form a stop member with the skirt 2 to prevent deformation by compression
of the threads 3 when the stopper is fitted in place.
1.- Improved security stopper of the type comprising an integral moulded material,
preferably plastics, body designed as a screw cap, which comprises an annular skirt
associated with the stopper body only by a plurality of points or threads of weakened
material which break when unscrewing the stopper, fulfilling the sealing mission thereof
which skirt includes protuberances extending outwardly on the inner surface thereof
for positioning below the retaining ridge on the bottleneck, characterized essentially
in that the said protuberances are formed by respective holes or hollowed out portions
configured on the skirt wall in the outward/inward direction, forming on the inner
surface of said skirt outwardly extending arcuate or semispherical bodies, of fine
thin walls, which may yield elastically or bend without breaking the joining threads,
when screwing on the stopper, to easily pass over the thread area and the retaining
ridge area to be located below said ridge, forming the corresponding retainer having
a strength superior to the strain the threads undergo on unscrewing the stopper.
