CLOSURE FOR A BOTTLE OR ANOTHER CONTAINER

Abstract

 A plastic closure for a bottle (13) or another container comprises a cylindrical cap (1) provided with a breakable strap holder (5) located on a lateral wall (6) of the cap, and an inwardly directed cylindrical adapter (3) and a cylindrical hollow plug (2), both coaxially formed in the centre of the cap and frangibly connected one to another. The cap (1) has, at its inner side, a rounded circumferential protrusion (7) located on said lateral wall (6), as well as a protruding elastic gasket (9), resting on the base (12) of the cap (1), in its corner edge (12'), provided with at least one resilient lip (10, 11) directed obliquely towards the cylindrical adapter (3).

Description

[0001] The object of the present invention is a closure to a bottle or another container, especially made of plastic, to be mainly used for the transportation and storage of non-carbonated drinking water or other drinks, and liquids in general. The closure is used e.g. in popular 2 and 5 gallon bottles. The closure is made with the method of two-component injection.

[0002] The invention relates to the field of packagings, especially for water, which can be bulky and constitute reusable containers, used particularly in public buildings, workplaces, production halls, etc. When using plastic closures for containers for water it is important to ensure an adequate sealing that is effective in various positions of the bottle, especially when it is placed upside down in various types of specially adapted dispensing devices, and when water is charged from them in portions. The sealing of the closure of the bottle must also be effective in the transportation and storage, when the bottles are e.g. in a horizontal position.

[0003] There are known gaskets provided on the upper surface of the container, as well as on the outer cylindrical surface of the end or neck of the container. This type of sealing was presented in the U.S. patent applications US4378893A, US4407422A and US4418828A. These patent applications disclose a cap provided with an annular edge spaced from the base and defining an annular recess, and the plastic sealing lining is so embossed that it is supported by the integral projections resting on the lining at the base and the annular edge to form a lining that has an annular sealing roller which rests on the outer surface of the lateral of the container.

[0004] The European patent application EP0816283B1 discloses a cap which is provided with a breakable gasket protecting its upper surface. The cap has at its inner side the circumferential protrusions located on the lateral, as well as an elastic pointed profiling, protruding obliquely from the lower side of the base of the cap (shown e.g. in Fig. 4).

[0005] The Polish patent description PL202094 discloses a plastic lid of the bottles or other beverage containers, which consists of a cylindrical cap with the strap holder, wherein the cap is provided with a coaxially formed cylindrical adapter directed inwards and connected with that adapter a cylindrical hollow plug, characterised in that the cylindrical cap has at its inner side the circumferential protrusions located on the lateral, as well as the elastic circumferential lips projecting downwardly from the lower side of the base of the cap.

[0006] Despite the above solutions, there is still a need to improve the sealing of the bottles and to create more universal solutions to ensure efficiency in different conditions, different positions of bottles and with modified shapes of the containers used.

[0007] The object of the present invention is the closure to a bottle or another container, made of plastic, consisting of a cylindrical cap provided with a breakable strap holder located on the lateral of the cap, as well as the inwardly directed cylindrical adapter and the cylindrical hollow plug, both coaxially formed in the centre of the cap and connected one to another, wherein the cap is characterised in that the cylindrical cap at its inner side has the circumferential rounded protrusion located on the lateral, as well as, also at its inner side, the protruding elastic greater circumferential gasket, resting on the base of the cap, in the portion of its corner edge, provided with at least one resilient lip directed obliquely towards the cylindrical adapter.

[0008] Optionally, inside the circumferential greater gasket, at a distance therefrom, there is a further smaller circumferential gasket, mounted also on the base of the cap.

[0009] The circumferential gaskets are mounted perpendicularly on the base of the cap and parallel to the lateral of the cap.

[0010] The greater circumferential gasket is provided with two resilient lips.

[0011] The circumferential gaskets are made of a different material than the material of the cap.

[0012] The object of the invention has been described in an embodiment on a drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows a general perspective view of the closure of the bottle from the inside, i.e. from the open side, where the cap is mounted on the neck of the bottle, Fig. 2 shows a cross portion of the closure of the bottle, Fig. 3 shows an enlarged cross section of the greater (outer) gasket of Fig. 2, comprising two lips, the lower one and the upper one, Fig. 4 shows another embodiment of the greater gasket of Fig. 2, i.e. the gasket comprising only one lip, and Fig. 5 shows a cross portion of the closure of the bottle mounted on the neck of the bottle with two gaskets: the greater (outer) one and the smaller (inner) one, shown in Fig. 3 as bent away to the lateral walls of the cap under the pressure of the neck of the bottle.

[0013] The closure to the bottle or another container, made of plastic, consists of a cylindrical cap 1 provided with a protruding, breakable strap holder 5 located on the lateral wall 6 of the cap (being an element of that lateral wall), in its lower portion, as well as the inwardly directed cylindrical adapter 3 and the cylindrical hollow plug 2, both coaxially formed in the centre of the cap 1 and connected one to another with a breakable connecting membrane 4. The construction of the closure is adapted for using a bottle with the cap 1 in the system for dispensing water or beverages (not shown), provided with a protruding dispenser tip with a size adapted to the inner diameter of the centrally located adapter 3 receiving the said dispenser tip. The protruding dispenser tip, when placing a bottle in the dispensing system, passes through the space of the adapter 3, breaking the connecting membrane 4 and is placed in the space of the bottle in order to dispense water (beverage).

[0014] The closure to the bottle or other container according to the invention is characterised in that the cylindrical cap 1 at its inner side, in the upper portion of the cap 1, over the entire circumference, has the uniformly shaped rounded (with a conical cross portion) protrusion 7 located on the lateral wall 6, as well as, also at its inner side, it is provided with the protruding elastic greater circumferential gasket 9, rounded in the end, resting on the base 12 of the cap 1, located in the portion of its corner edge 12', wherein the gasket is provided with at least one resilient side lip 10, 11 directed obliquely towards the cylindrical adapter. The lips 10, 11 are mounted on the lateral wall of the gasket 9 from the side of the adapter 3 and have a rounded, tapered shape, so that at their base they are wider than at the ends. For example, the shape of the lip 10 may a form of a nose directed towards the adapter 3, and the shape of the lip 11 may taper at the angle of 30°, as shown in Fig. 3. The circumferential gasket 9 is slightly bevelled at its base and mounted perpendicularly on the base 12 of the cap 1 and parallel to the lateral wall 6 of the cap 1. Thus, the gasket is slightly longer from the side of the adapter 3, i.e. from the operational side, which is designed to seal a closure-bottle contact. In addition to the greater gasket 9, the cap is also provided with the smaller gasket 9, located next to the greater one and spaced therefrom, mounted on the base 12 of the cap. The terms "smaller" and "greater" refer particularly to the length of the gasket measured from its base, mounted on the base 12 and 12' of the cap. The greater gasket 9 is located closer to the lateral wall 6 of the cap and it can be called the outer gasket. Inside it, there is concentrically located the smaller gasket 9' which can be called the inner gasket. The gaskets 9 and 9' are mounted in the space above the rounded protrusion 7, which in turn is located above the level of the pressing projections 8. The slightly oblique base of the gasket 9 (as shown in Figs. 3 and 4) allows mounting it on the slightly oblique portion of the corner edge 12' of the base 12 of the cap 1. The gasket 9, both at rest and work - when pressed against the edge of the bottle when the cap is already placed on the neck of the bottle, occupies the corner edge 12' of the base 12, above the protrusion 7, wherein depending on the shape and position of the bottle, either during use or transport, may in a flexible and resilient manner slightly change its shape and dynamically adapt to different conditions. The gasket 9 may be provided with one, two or three lips 10, 11, located one above another. The length of the greater gasket 9 may also be modified. The smaller (inner) gasket 9' is mounted on the flat portion of the base 12 and its position corresponds to the extreme upper edge of the neck of the bottle. The smaller gasket 9' preferably is not provided with any additional lips or projections, but it is foreseeable that it would be preferable to use the analogous side lips as for the greater gasket. Thus, a sealing system is created that can be adapted to different shapes of the edge of the neck of the bottle. The gaskets 9 and 9' are made of a different material than the material of the cap and that is a material of greater flexibility, bending under the pressure of the edge 14 of the neck of the bottle. The closure may be made of low density polyethylene. The material used for the production of the gasket is characterised by high flexibility and resilience, and it is e.g. TPE.

[0015] In the above embodiment, the closure of the bottle provides a multistage sealing that also has a diverse nature. The rounded protrusion 7 positions and seals the side edge of the neck of the bottle, which is pressed and also correctly positioned by means of the clamping projections 8, adapted to the recess in the neck of the bottle, located above the portion 13 of the neck adjacent to the cap 1 from the inside. The cap 1 preferably has a cylindrical shape with a uniform diameter over the entire height, and the only protruding element is the protrusion 7. Above that protrusion 7 there is formed a space receiving the gasket 9 when the gasket is pressed by the neck of the bottle, which is typically extended at the end edge relative to the distal portion of the neck of the bottle. The space receiving the gasket 9 is the corner edge of the cap, which is slightly oblique and located at the meeting place of the lateral wall 6 of the cap 1 and the base 12.

[0016] For purposes of the present invention, the terms "upper" or "lower" portion of the cap are used for example to the cap shown in Fig. 2, that is the strap holder is located in the lower portion of the cap, while the base 12 with the gaskets 9 and 9' is located in the upper portion of the cap. The adapter 3 and the plug 2 have a cylindrical shape directed downwards, parallel to the lateral 6.

[0017] The closure of the bottle can be provided only with the greater (outer) gasket with the upper and lower lips. Additionally, another, the smaller (inner) gasket, may be optionally used.

[0018] The closure of the bottle relative to the prior art solutions, e.g. according to the patent PL202094, is lighter by approx. 20%, which allows saving raw material. Currently, the consumption of plastics in the industry is also minimised for environmental reasons. A lower weight of the closure of the bottle according to the invention is provided particularly by reducing the thickness of the lateral of the cap. The circumferential protrusion located on the inside of the cap is substantially the only thicker portion of the lateral of the cap. The lateral of the cap only over the circumferential protrusion is somewhat strengthened.

[0019] The closure according to the invention is primarily applicable to containers for liquids, especially water, but can also be used for other liquid or loose or oily products, as well as for chemical raw materials, solvents, solutions, etc.

Reference numbers in the drawings:

[0020] 

1 - cylindrical cap

2 - cylindrical plug

3 - cylindrical adapter

4 - connecting membrane

5 - strap holder

6 - lateral wall

7 - circumferential protrusion

8 - clamping projections

9 - greater gasket

9' - smaller gasket

10 - lower lip

11 - upper lip

12 - base of the cap

12' - corner edge of the cap

13 - portion of the neck adjacent to the cap

14 - edge of the neck of the bottle

Claims

1. The closure to a bottle or another container, made of plastic, consisting of the cylindrical cap provided with the breakable, strap holder located on the lateral wall of the cap, as well as the inwardly directed cylindrical adapter and the cylindrical hollow plug, both coaxially formed in the centre of the cap and connected one to another, characterised in that in that the cylindrical cap (1) at its inner side has the rounded circumferential protrusion (7) located on the lateral wall (6), as well as, also at its inner side, the protruding elastic greater circumferential gasket (9), resting on the base (12) of the cap (1), in the portion of its corner edge (12'), provided with at least one resilient lip (10, 11) directed obliquely towards the cylindrical adapter (3).

2. The closure to the bottle or another container according to claim 1, characterised in that optionally, inside the greater circumferential gasket (9), at a distance therefrom, there is another, the smaller circumferential gasket (9'), also mounted on the base (12) of the cap.

3. The closure to the bottle or another container according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the circumferential gaskets (9, 9') ere mounted perpendicular to the base (12) of the cap (1) and parallel to the lateral wall (6) of the cap (1).

4. The closure to the bottle or another container according to claim 1 or 2 or 3, characterised in that the circumferential gasket (9) is provided with two resilient lips (10, 11).

5. The closure to the bottle or another container according to claim 1, or 2 or 3 or 4, characterised in that the gaskets (9, 9') are made of a different material than the material of the cap.

Drawing