Closure

Abstract

 This invention relates to a closure (1) provided with an extractable pourer (5) operated by the operations of mouth and closing the outer capsule (2) of the closure (1), in which the pourer (5) is extracted more quickly than the outer capsule (2).

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a closure, especially for edible oil.

[0002] Known closures for edible oil are generally provided with a drip-preventing pourer to prevent that, due to its viscosity and other properties, the oil sticks to the outer walls of the container, making it troublesome to handle.

[0003] An important characteristic of a pourer for oil (both edible and non-edible oils) is the ability to retain its drip-preventing properties even when it is desired to pour out a small quantity of oil when the container is full; the pourer must protect the container even if the latter is not inclined by very much with respect to the vertical.

[0004] In order to accentuate this advantageous characteristic a plurality of pourers have been proposed in the known art, including the one described in WO90/08074 which makes use of a system of bistable bellows to increase the distance between pouring lip 11 and the mouth of the container.

[0005] The bistable bellows are however complex to manufacture, can break easily if manufactured from polymer materials for edible oils, may undergo viscous relaxation phenomena (creep) and, moreover, in order to be conveniently operated require a relatively complex system of attachment between cap 3 and the pourer body.

[0006] In the light of the described state of the art, the object of this invention is to provide a closure which at least partly resolves at least some of the abovementioned problems, in such a way that it can also be applied to containers for oil or other viscous liquids (such as for example syrups or sugar-containing liquors), preferably for edible liquids.

[0007] According to this invention this object is accomplished through a closure according to claim 1 or 17.

[0008] Other advantages and characteristics of the present invention will become clear from the following detailed description which is given with reference to the appended drawings which are provided purely by way of non-limiting example and in which:

• Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a closure according to the invention,
• Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the closure in Figure 1, at an instant subsequent to that in Figure 1,
• Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the closure in Figure 1, in an open configuration and without the outer cap,
• Figure 4 shows an exploded axonometric view in partial cross-section of a closure according to a second embodiment of this invention,
• Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a closure according to this invention, simply attached to the inside of the container mouth,
• Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment of a closure according to the invention, similar to that in Figure 5, but with non-refillable means,
• Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a fifth embodiment of a closure according to the invention,
• Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view of a sixth embodiment in which the outer cap is of polymer material,
• Figure 9 shows a cross-sectional view of a seventh embodiment, in which the outer cap is of polymer material and is made of one piece,
• Figure 10 shows a cross-sectional view of an eighth embodiment in which the closure is provided with extraction prevention means.

[0009] Longitudinal axis X-X is the main axis of mouth 102 and closure 1: when closure 1 is fitted to container 10, the two main axes coincide.

[0010] Closure 1 comprises an outer capsule 2, an attachment element 4 and a pourer 5.

[0011] Outer capsule 2 may advantageously comprise an inner cap 21, and a capsule 22, advantageously of metal, which may comprise means showing evidence of the first opening. In the embodiment in Figure 8, capsule 22 is of polymer, while in the one in Figure 9 inner cap 21 and capsule 22 are made of one piece and of polymer material.

[0012] For example capsule 22 may be subdivided into an upper portion 221 and a lower portion 222 (or tamper-evident ring), joined together by a weakened line 223.

[0013] Outer capsule 2 comprises a part C1a of first connecting means C1 which will allow movements to remove outer capsule 2 from the rest of closure 1 and vice versa.

[0014] These movements, brought about by first connecting means C1, comprise at least one longitudinal movement D1 and may also comprise a rotation, for example they may be helical.

[0015] First connecting means C1 may comprise a threaded coupling of pitch P1 23-46, 23-103, or a cam or bayonet system (not shown).

[0016] Attachment element 4 comprises retaining means 451 for attachment to container 100 and a part C3a of third connecting means C3.

[0017] Structurally, attachment element 4 shown in the figures comprises (from inside to outside) a first inner sleeve 42, comprising part C3a of third connecting means C3 and defining a central longitudinal seat 421, a sleeve 43 comprising sealing means 431 for liquid, an annular upper wall 44 for longitudinally abutting said mouth 102, an outer sleeve 45, comprising retaining means 451, for example in the form of one or more teeth 452 located on the inner surface of outer sleeve 45 so to engage with an outer groove 104 made in neck 101 of container 100. Teeth 452 may also be constructed as sectors of a circle or as keys.

[0018] Third connecting means C3 illustrated in the figure are a threaded attachment 422/56 of pitch P2 between pourer 5 and inner sleeve 42.

[0019] Advantageously P2 > P1 so that when outer capsule 2 is integral in rotation with pourer 5, longitudinal movement D1 of outer capsule 2 during removal of the same from container 100 is less than the corresponding movement D2 of pourer 5, thus acquiring a distance of travel which is greater than that which can be achieved for the same displacement in known closures.

[0020] Retaining means 451 serve to prevent closure 1 from falling when container 100 is upside down.

[0021] It is also possible to construct outer sleeve 45 in such a way that it externally also covers part of the neck of container 100. The remaining part C1b of first connecting means C1 can then be constructed on outer sleeve 45. In this embodiment outer capsule 2 directly engages attachment element 4 and does not engage thread 103 of mouth 102.

[0022] Furthermore, as illustrated in Figure 10, outer sleeve 45 can be constructed separately so that it can perform an effective extraction preventing function. In this case the material of outer sleeve 45 may be rigid, such as, for example, PC, and may be provided with means 48 to prevent rotation relative to container 100, for example longitudinal ribs.

[0023] Pourer 5, which has substantially cylindrical symmetry, comprises a lower portion 53, a central portion 52 and an upper portion 51. Lower portion 53 comprises the remaining part C3b of third connecting means C3; central portion 52 comprises a part C2a of second connecting means C2 and upper portion 51 comprises pouring lip 54.

[0024] As will be seen in the figures, lower portion 53 may comprise an outer thread 56 engaging attachment element 4, central portion 52 may comprise teeth 55 engaging outer capsule 2 and pouring lip 54 may be elastic and flexible to compensate for the greater longitudinal displacement of pourer 5 with respect to outer capsule 2. In alternative embodiments teeth 55 may be constructed on outer capsule 2 itself; likewise compensation for the greater longitudinal movement of pourer 5 with respect to outer capsule 2 may be obtained for example in outer capsule 2 by means of a plate biased by a spring and/or in pourer 5 by constructing upper portion 51 as a bellows, as illustrated in Figures 1-3 and 7-10. Advantageously upper bellows portion 51 may be used in combination with flexible lip 54.

[0025] Inner cap 21 illustrated in the figures comprises the remaining part C2b of second connecting means C2 in the form of a central sleeve 211 within which are constructed a plurality of guides 212, the longitudinal extent of which makes them suitable for engaging teeth 55 at least for the time during which outer capsule 2 is attached to mouth 102, advantageously the central sleeve is slightly longer, so that the rotation which users naturally apply to outer capsule 2 even after this has been detached from mouth 102 can be used for achieving further extraction of pourer 5.

[0026] Second connecting means C2 are advantageously constructed so to allow slight relative movement during the final stages of screwing and not to allow it during unscrewing. In this way it is ensured that the correct relative position is reached when it has been fully screwed down even if the user begins to screw pourer 5 before outer capsule 2 engages mouth 102.

[0027] Closure 1 thus described has reduced longitudinal size and, when open, the drip-preventing lip is in a particularly raised position with respect to the mouth 102 of container 100.

[0028] Inner cap 21 further comprises a horizontal wall 213 from which central sleeve 211 and an annular edge 214 extend. A bellows-like seat 215 in which upper portion 51 and/or lower portion 53 can elastically deform during the opening and closing operations is thus defined in this way so to compensate for the different axial displacements of pourer 5 with respect to outer capsule 2.

[0029] Close to its lower extremity annular edge 214 comprises a part of engaging means 216 capable of retaining attachment element 4 (and thus hold the elements of closure 1 together) during the operations of handling closure 1 before it is fitted to container 10.

[0030] These engaging means 216 comprise for example one or more substantially circumferential grooves engaging in one or more matching seats made in an annular wall 46 of attachment element 4 (or vice versa).

[0031] Annular edge 214 may comprise an outer skirt (not shown in the figures) which comprises part C1a of first connecting means C1 mentioned above.

[0032] With closure 1 described above, when outer capsule 2 is removed, at least one section of pourer 5 is moved longitudinally through a distance greater than that of outer capsule 2.

[0033] Pouring lip 54 is therefore pressed against horizontal wall 213, deforming in seat 215.

[0034] At the end of the movement, when outer capsule 2 is completely removed so that first and second connecting means C1, C2 no longer engage, pouring lip 54 resumes its original shape.

[0035] In addition to the abovementioned advantages there is the one of maintaining all the elements of closure 1 under no elastic deformation for most of the time, preventing viscous relaxation phenomena (creep) from quickly overcoming any ability for elastic recovery of the same.

[0036] As may be seen in Figures 5 and 6, attachment element 4 may also be attached to container 100 merely through sealing means 431. In this arrangement attachment element 4 is held within mouth 102 of container 100 merely by friction.

[0037] As may be seen in Figure 6, non-refillable means 6, which make it difficult to add extraneous materials once closure 1 has been fitted to container 100, may be located between pourer 5 and attachment element 4.

[0038] In the illustrated embodiment, pourer 5 comprises an upper retaining portion 57 which holds a valve element, for example a sphere 61, within engaging portion 53; similarly attachment element 4 comprises a terminal retaining portion 47 which helps to hold the valve element within closure 1.

[0039] If the valve element is not present, portion 47 performs the function of a lower end-of-travel for pourer 5; the upper end-of-travel is instead provided by a portion 58 provided in the base of pourer 5, so to interrupt external thread 56.

[0040] The metal in capsule 22 may for example be aluminium, rolled on the threads 103 of neck 101 of container 100; attachment element 4 may be constructed of for example HDPE, LDPE and their combinations, or of PP, so to ensure a sufficient seal for the liquid together with sufficient mechanical attachment to mouth 102; pourer 5 may be made of substantially flexible material (for example LDPE, EVA and their combinations, thermoplastic elastomers); cap 21 (capsule 2, where this is of one piece) may be made of any of these materials.

[0041] Obviously in order to satisfy contingent and specific requirements a person skilled in the art could introduce many modifications and variants to what has been described above, such as for example applying the closure according to this invention to other (not necessarily edible) liquids of high viscosity.

[0042] These variants however lie within the scope of protection of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A closure (1) suitable for attachment to the mouths (102) of containers (100) having a longitudinal axis (X-X), said closure (1) comprising:

- an outer capsule (2),

- an attachment element (4) having a longitudinal inner seat (421) and

- a pourer (5), located in said inner seat (421) and capable of moving longitudinally therein,

wherein, when said closure (1) is attached to said mouth (102):

- said outer capsule (2) is attached to said mouth (102) through first connecting means (C1) so as to prevent liquid from leaving said container (100) and may reversibly be removed from the remainder of said closure (1) by a movement which comprises at least one displacement D1 in a longitudinal direction,

- said outer capsule (2) is attached to said pourer (5) by second connecting means (C2),

- said pourer (5) is attached to said attachment element (4) by third connecting means (C3),

- said attachment element (4) is secured to said mouth (102) by retaining means (431,451),

characterised in that
said first, second and third connecting means (C1, C2, C3) are such that when said outer capsule (2) is removed from or applied to the remainder of said closure (1), following a displacement D1 of said outer capsule (2) in a longitudinal direction (X-X) the corresponding displacement D2 of at least one section of said pourer (5) in the longitudinal direction (X-X) is greater than D1.

2. A closure (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which displacement D1 includes the entire travel necessary for said outer capsule (2) to detach from said first connecting means (C1).

3. A closure (1) according to either of the previous claims, in which the displacements comprising said displacements D1 and/or D2 are helical.

4. A closure (1) according to the preceding claim, in which said first and second connecting means (C1, C3) are threaded and have pitches P1 and P2 respectively, with P2 > P1.

5. A closure (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said first connecting means (C1) directly connect said outer capsule (2) to said mouth (102).

6. A closure (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which said first connecting means (C1) connect said outer capsule (2) to said attachment element (4).

7. A closure (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said pourer (5) comprises a flexible pourer lip (54) and a lower portion (51) comprising a part (C3b) of said third connecting means (C3).

8. A closure (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said second connecting means (C2) render said outer capsule (2) and said pourer (5) integral in rotation during at least said displacements D1 and D2.

9. A closure (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said second connecting means (C2) comprise at least one radial tooth (55) which engages at least one corresponding guide (213).

10. A closure (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising tamper-evident means (221, 222, 223).

11. A closure (1) according to the preceding claim, in which said tamper-evident means (221, 222, 223) comprise two portions (221, 222) of annular cross-section connected together through a weakened line (223) provided in said outer capsule (2).

12. A closure (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising non-refillable valve means (6).

13. A closure (1) according to the preceding claim, in which said non-refillable valve means (6) comprise a valve (61) located between said pourer (5) and said attachment element (4).

14. A closure (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 or 7 to 13, in which:

- said outer capsule (2) comprises:

* an outer element (22) on which a part (C1a) of the first connecting means (C1) is constructed, and

* an inner element (21) on which a part (C2b) of said second connection means (C2) is constructed,

- said pourer (5) comprises:

* a flexible pouring lip (54),

* a central portion (52) comprising the remaining part (C2a) of said second connecting means (C2),

* a lower portion (53) comprising a part (C3b) of said third connecting means (C3),

- said attachment element (4) comprises:

* a first inner sleeve (42) comprising the remaining part (C3b) of said third connecting means (C3),

* a sleeve (43) comprising radial sealing means (431) for liquid capable of engaging the inner surface of said mouth (102),

* an upper annular wall (44) capable of longitudinally abutting said mouth (102),

* an outer sleeve (45) comprising said retaining means (451), in the form of one or more teeth (452) located along the inner surface of said outer sleeve (45).

15. A combination of a closure (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 or 7 to 14 with a mouth (102) provided with a thread (103) in which said thread (103) comprises the remaining part (C1b) of said first connecting means (C1).

16. A closure (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4 or 6 to 13, in which:

- said outer capsule (2) on which a part (C1a) of the first connecting means (C1) is constructed comprises:

* an outer element (22) and

* an inner element (21) on which a part(C2b) of said second connecting means (C2) is constructed,

- said pourer (5) comprises:

* a flexible pouring lip (54),

* a central portion (52) comprising the remaining part (C2a) of said second connecting means (C2),

* a lower portion, comprising a part (C3b) of said third connecting means (C3),

- said attachment element (4) comprises:

* a first inner sleeve (42) comprising the remaining part (C3b) of said third connecting means (C3),

* a sleeve (43) comprising radial sealing means (431) for liquid, capable of engaging the inner surface of said mouth (102),

* an upper annular wall (44), capable of longitudinally abutting said mouth (102),

* an outer sleeve (45) comprising said retaining means (451), in the form of one or more teeth (452) located along the inner surface of said outer sleeve (45),

* the remaining part (C1b) of said first connecting means (C1).

17. A closure (1) comprising an outer capsule (2) and an extractable pourer (5), said extractable pourer (5) being capable of being operated during mouth and closing by said outer capsule (2) in which at least part of the pourer (5) moves longitudinally more quickly than said outer capsule (2) in the course of mouth and closing operations.

Drawing