Draw-out cap for bottle or can containers with tamper-proof ring

Abstract

 The draw-out cap is consisting of two elements, an external one including the external body (1,101) and the cover (5,105), and an internal one including a ring (17, 117) and the pouring outlet (14, 114) which are connected through a thin walled elastically deformable envelope (20, 120). The external body (1 - 101) features an external peripheral ring (10, 110) connected through breakable peduncles (11, 111) to prevent or disclose any tampering while facilitating cap assembly. Cap seal is improved by appropriate shaping.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a draw-out cap closing and sealing bottle or can containers of any type.

[0002] Several types of metal or plastic caps are generally provided to close these bottle or can containers. This invention particularly refers to draw-out type plastic caps.

[0003] Currently available caps of this type are mainly consisting of two different elements and, for example, as per EP-A-0269499, of:
- an external element with locking profile on the neck or inside the hole, also duly shaped, of the container which is connected with the cover turning wings through breakable peduncles,
- a central element with draw-out pouring outlet, locked on the container opening by the external element. This central element enables to draw-out the pouring outlet through a thin walled, deformable tract.

[0004] Yet, the caps of the known art have a major drawback, namely that any tampering of the cap cannot be evidenced since the cap shaping can be disenganged from the shaping of the container neck or hole with a screwdriver or any other similar tool, the cap can then be removed and the content poured out and replaced. The cap can then be mounted again without immediate tampering detection.

[0005] The main object of the present invention is to reduce or obviate the drawbacks associated with the draw-out type caps of the known art, while improving total cap seal.

[0006] According to this invention, below the external element and connected to it by means of breakable peduncles, this cap has a ring employing as preferred embodyment some peripherically arranged external or internal vertical indentations with striped bottom and thin weakened wall. At the same time, on the container neck, a ring expansion is provided on which said cap ring rests. In can containers said ring rests against the hole shaping. In both cases, the ring facilitates cap mounting. These components reduce the likelyhood of tampering and in case of tampering attempt, it would be immediately apparent by rupture of the peduncles and the thin walled lines, namely by the ring being broken.

[0007] Furthermore, according to this invention, this cap, by means of adequate shaping, improves cap tightness before and after opening.

[0008] Furthermore, in addition to the known solution of a draw-out cap according to EP-A-0269499, other solutions are also known according to EP-A-0221419 and US-A-3604740 mainly referring to systems for cap hooking on the edge of the can through an external guarantee envelope. Conversely, document EP-A-­0224863 relates to a draw-out type cap with vented pouring outlet.

[0009] Moreover, for information purposes, the cap according to EP-A-­0127943 is also known. This is not a draw-out cap and it has a safety "push and turn" device against opening by children.

[0010] The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view and partial central cross-section of the single element consisting of the external cap body and the closing cover, for caps to be mounted on bottle containers;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the element of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a side view and partial central cross-section of the single element consisting of the inner cap body with draw-out outlet for bottle container,

Fig. 4 is a top view of the element of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a side view and partial central cross-section of the full cap mounted on a container neck,

Fig. 6 is a side view and partial central cross-section of the single element consisting of the external cap body and the closing cover for can container closing caps,

Fig. 7 s a top view of the whole set illustrated in Fig. 1,

Fig. 8 is a side view and partial central cross-section of the inner cap element for can containers,

Fig. 9 is a side view and partial central cross-section of the whole cap mounted on the bottom of a can container

Fig. 10 is a cap similar to the one in Fig. 9, but with turning wings which can be raised from the inside and fitted with metal plate seal.

[0011] Referring to the drawings from 1 to 5, 1 indicates the external cap body with two upper upside-down U shaped projections with opposite inner ends 23 and a circle arch shape.

[0012] Through breakable peduncles 3, these projections 2 have an inward connection with cap 5 turning wings 4 which are in turn connected to the cover 5 by means of opposite areas 5′.

[0013] Therefore, said peduncles 3 connect the external body to the cover while keeping said wings within the cap size. In order to open the cover, said wings are raised, the peduncles 3 broken as indicated by the dotted line 4′ of Fig. 1, to turn the cover 5. In the opposite areas 1′ within the projections 2, the upper part of the external body 1 is lowered so that the wings 4 of the cover 5 can be raised with the fingers.

[0014] Ring shaping 6 is provided inside the external cap body 1; this shaping allows cap mounting on the neck of container 8 by engagement with the corresponding shaping 7.

[0015] Inside the external body 1 and under ring shaping 6, protruding notches are preferably provided or rotation-prevention bosses 9 which engage in corresponding shapes provided outside the container 8 neck.

[0016] Below the cap body 1 an outward protruding ring 10 is provided, which is connected to the body by means of peduncles 11 to improve tampering proofness. Said ring peripherally has vertical recesses 10′ forming a thin weakened walled bottom. These recesses may either be external as in Fig. 2 or placed inside the ring.

[0017] Furthermore, according to this invention, the bottle neck 8 has a protruding seam 24 right below the cap ring 10. Without such ring 10 and such seam 24 of the bottle neck 8, by acting below the edge of the external body 1, it would be possible to dilate the body, disengage the shapes 6 and 7 with a screwdriver or similar tool, then remove the cap, pour or replace the contents and then remount the cap, without practically leaving any sign of tampering. Conversely, with said ring 10 and seam 24 here described these operations become more difficult and, whenever attempted, the peduncles 11 as well as the thin walled lines 10′ would break, namely the ring would break, thus immediately showing the signs of tampering.

[0018] The cover 5 has a cylindrical part 12 with internal thread 13 corresponding to the external thread of the pouring outlet 14.

[0019] To improve tightness of said cap 5 on the pouring outlet 14, two rng-shaped profiles 15 and 16 are provided inside the cover 5. Profile 15 is preferably crowned and located above the thread 13, whereas the profile 16, featuring a raked or vertical ring type spline, is located inside the pouring outlet 14. The concurrent action of the two profiles 15 and 16 both inside and outside the pouring outlet 14, ensures perfect tightness thus preventing any leakage of liquid when the cover is closed, even if not thoroughly screwed.

[0020] The inner cap element features a ring-shaped part 17 with lower recessed shaping 18 to house the upper end of the container opening 8 and with the upper recessed profile 18′ to house the downward bent ends 23 of the projections 2.

[0021] The lower recessed shaping 18 features a small ring-shaped projection 25 to rest on the container opening 8.

[0022] Furthermore, inside the element 17, a downward projecting profile 19 is provided resting against the inner wall of the container 8 opening. This internal element of the cap provides for a pouring outlet 14 which is connected to the ring-shaped element 17 through a thin wall deformable envelope 20 with inside a pull-type seal 21 which is pulled with the tab 22.

[0023] It should be mentioned that thanks to the bent ends 23 of the projections 2, tightness between the ring-shaped element 17 and the container opening 8 is enhanced. During cap mounting the external element, after engagement onto the container's neck, exercises some pressure on said bent ends 23 which elastically warp thus pushing the hollow profile 18 against the upper edge of the container neck 8. This causes the ring-shaped profile 25 to elastically warp, with continuous adherence to the container opening and perfect tightness.

[0024] In Fig. 5 the dot line shows the normal position of the pouring outlet when drawn out axially, with reference number 14′. With this axial extraction, the thin walled envelope 20 undergoes elastic deformation as indicated by the reference number 20′.

[0025] With reference to said Figures from 6 to 9, 101 indicates the tal cap element on top of which the wings 104 turning the cover 105 are connected, by means of breakable peduncles 103.

[0026] These wings are in turn connected to the cover through mutually opposite tracts 105′. These breakable peduncles 103 connect the external element 101 to the cover 105 while keeping said wings lying within the cap size. In order to open and turn the cover, said wings are raised thus breaking the peduncles 105.

[0027] For easier wing lifting, the external element 101 is lowered in the areas 101′ which are at right angle with the tracts 105 connecting the cover 105.

[0028] Said external cap element 101 features an external crowned ring-shaped profile 106 for a stable engagement assembly on a corresponding profile 107 of the U-shaped ring element 117 of the inner cap element, as described here below.

[0029] Outside the ring-shaped body 101, a ring 110 is provided which is connected to the body by means of breakable peduncles 111. This ring, by resting on the shaping 125 of thebottom hole 126of the container, enhances tampering proofness, as already mentioned regarding the ring 10 regarding the solution for the bottle container.

[0030] The cover 105 features a cylindrical tract 112 with internal thread 113 corresponding to the external thread of the pouring outlet 114.

[0031] For a better tightness of said cap 105 on the pouring outlet 114, two ring-shaped profiles 115 and 116 are provided inside the cover 105,which are similar to and have the same functions of profiles 15 and 16 described in the solution for bottle containers.

[0032] The inner cap element features a U-shaped ring element 117 housing the ring-shaped body 101 of the external cap element. Inside said ring-shaped portion 117, there is a ring shaping107 which, as already mentioned, is used to lock the ring-shaped profile 106 by engaging it, thus guaranteeing with the latter the assembly of the two elements, namely the internal 101 and the external element 117. The internal cap element features the pouring outlet 114, a thin-walled deformable envelope 120 and a pull- type seal 121 with tab 122 similar to the corresponding elements 14, 20, 21 and 22 mentioned in the solution regarding the cap for bottle container.

[0033] Moreover, according to this solution, several pegs or lamellae 124 are provided inside the lower part of the inner element, arranged in a circular and raked fashion to reduce bubbling when the liquid content is being poured.

[0034] As indicated in Fig. 9, the shaping 125 of the bottom hole 126 of the can, after cap mounting, presses on the outside of the ring-­shaped element 117 which is subject to inward warping thus enhancing the assembly between the two cap elements.

[0035] It is also worth noting that, as indicated in Fig. 9, during cap mounting on the container, the ring 110 rests against the shaping 125 of the bottom hole 126 of the container. This condition, apart from preventing tampering as previously described, also facilitates cap mounting even when the latter lacks known external profiles of the ring-shaped part 117 of the inner element, for anchorage to the shaping 125 of the bottom hole 126. As indicated in the drawings, this ring is indeed externally flat while bending inwards under the pressure of the hole shaping 125. Subsequently, this can can always be mounted irrespectively of the protrusion of the profile 125 edge since it can always press against the external part of the ring 117. In the case of known art caps with hooking profile it is possible that, ifthe edge of the shaping 125 is different from the required size, either the cap cannot be mounted or leakages occur.

[0036] In Fig. 9 the dot line shows the normal position of the pouring outlet when drawn out, with reference number 114′. With this axial extraction, the thin walled envelope 120 undergoes elastic deformation as indicated by the reference number 120′.

[0037] Fig. 10 shows a cap for can containers similar to the one indicated in Fig. 9, in which the wings, 114 turning the cover 105 can be raised from the inside, since the upper surface of said cover is slighlty lowered with respect to these wings. Thanks to this solution the adoption of a further safety is possible, namely of an upper seal 127 in metal plate hooked all around the safety ring 110.

Claims

1. Cap for containers with draw-out opening consisting of an external element (1, 101), an inner element (17, 117), locked on the neck (8) or in the hole (125) of the container and fitted with draw-out pouring outlet (14, 114) and consisting of a closing cover (5, 105) which, by means of its handling wings (4, 104) is connected, through breakable peduncles (3, 103) to the external element (1, 101), characterized by the fact that it provides for a peripheral ring (10, 110) connected by means of breakable peduncles (11, 111) to the cap external element (1, 101) and that said ring (10, 110) preferably features also some internal or external peripheral recesses (10′) creating thin walled lines, so that the ring (10, 110) while resting, after assembly, against a thickening (24) of the container neck (8) or on the shaping (125) of the bottom hole (126) prevents or reveals cap tampering.

2. Cap according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the external cap body (1) of the bottle container (8) at the top features opposite upside-down U shaped projections (2) with a circle arch shape, whereas the ring-shaped part (17) of the corresponding inner element features ring-shaped profiles (18, 18′), of which the lower one (18) with an inner protruding profile (25) houses the container (8) opening and the upper one houses the ends of opposite projections (2), so that upon cap mounting, all upside-down U profiles (2) press against the ring-shaped part (17) of the inner body which in turn exercises perfect tightness against the container opening (8).

3. Cap according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that the wings (4) for turning the cover (5) are connected, by means of breakable peduncles (3), to the opposite upside-down U shaped projections (2) of the external body (1).

4. Cap according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the peripheral ring surface (117) of the internal cap element for can containers does not have hooking profiles as commonly provided on the edge of the shaping (125) of the bottom hole (126), so that cap mounting is also possible when the size of said shaping (125) varies and to prevent cap reassembly without the external ring (110) in case of its tampering.

5. Cap according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the cover (5, 105) features two shapings (15, 115, 16, 116) to improve tightness of the pouring outlet (14, 114) even when the cap is not thoroughly tightened, where a shaping (15, 115) features a ring projection on top of the thread (13, 113) of the cover (5, 105) and presses at the outside of the pouring outlet (14, 114), whereas the other profile (16, 116) featuring a raked ring type spline, is located inside said pouring outlet.

6. Cap according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that inside the inner element (17, 117) several pegs or lamellae 124 are provided, arranged in a circular and raked fashion to reduce bubbling when the liquid content is being poured.

7. Cap according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the upper surface of said cover (105) is lowered with respect to the turning wings (104) so that the latter ones can be raised by acting from the inside and an upper metal plate safety seal (127) hooked all around the guarantee ring (110) can be mounted.

Drawing