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(11) | EP 0 009 525 B1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
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| (54) |
Improvements in and relating to hinged closures for containers Verbesserungen betreffend Gelenkverschlüsse von Behältern Améliorations concernant les fermetures articulées de récipients |
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| Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to hinged closures for bottles and the like hereinafter simply called containers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0002] The hinged closures to which the invention relates comprise a cap part, a tear band, an anchor band and a hinge to connect the cap part to the anchor band. These hinged closures have in the past few years achieved a very considerable success commercially and our hinged closures known under the Registered Trade Mark JAYCAP and manufactured under British Patent No. 812580 are to be found on many different containers including bottles of still soft drink such as orange squash.
[0003] So far it has not proved possible to use our JAYCAPS on containers of aerated drinks because the internal pressure has created practical problems among which we should mention:-
a) The pressure inside bottles of a beverage such as tonic water may be as much as 120p.s.i. (827,376N.mm-1), and this has proved to be sufficient to blow our normal JAYCAPS right off the bottle.
b) In cases in which our JAYCAPS have held in position the pressure inside the bottle has caused a leakage so that the beverage has gone flat.
c) When removing the tear band the cap part has been blown open with such force that an injury could be sustained by the person opening the bottle.
[0004] At this point it should be mentioned that prior British specification No. 1390358 describes a snap-on closure for a container comprising a plug portion adapted to enter and seal the mouth of the container, an annular portion adapted to embrace the outside periphery of the neck portion of the container and to be retained in situ during opening and closing of the container, the plug portion being attached to the annular portion through a readily breakable portion formed on the upwardly facing part of the closure and extending at least along the major portion of the periphery of the plug portion, and hinge means connecting the plug portion to the annular portion and adapted to maintain said connection on breaking said breakable portion by relative movement between the plug portion and the annular portion.
[0005] Prior British Specification No. 1390358 also discloses a snap-on closure, for a container, including a plug portion adapted to enter and seal the mouth of the container and an annular portion to embrace the outside of the container neck, the two portions being interconnected by a breakable portion in the form of a weak breaking line e.g. a score line or a series of bridges.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0006] We have therefore carried out a series of experiments with a view to designing a special hinged closure adapted for use primarily with a container the content of which is aerated. According to the present invention a hinged closure for closing the mouth of a container comprises a cap part, an integral anchor band adapted to embrace the neck of the container or that part of the container wall adjacent the mouth of the container and means for separating the anchor band from the cap part circumferentially except over a narrow interconnecting zone which constitutes a hinge, characterised in that the means for separating the cap part from the anchor band comprises a tear band defined by two lines of weakness, the tear band extending over substantially less than the full circumference of the closure, and a single line of weakness extending over the rest of the circumference of the closure except for the hinge.
[0007] Each of the problems mentioned above has required special attention and a solution is based upon the provision of a hinged closure in accordance with the statement above and preferably having the additional following features:-
a) We make the closure sufficiently strong to stay in position even with substantial pressure building up inside. This may be done by thickening the material of which the closure is made, by providing a bead of substantial size inside the anchor, by making the closure of a stronger material than heretofore (e.g a plastics composition made up of about 90% low density polyethylene and about 10% high density polyethylene and by dishing the top of the cap part of the closure so that pressure existed inside is resisted and at least partially expands itself by pushing up the dished part.
b) We provide the closure with extra sealing means which may be in the form of annular external lamellas on a plug part of the closure.
c) We make the thickness of membranes joining the tear band to the cap part and to the anchor part and the arcuate area of weakness of a thickness between 0.008" (0.203 mm) and 0.02211 (0.56 mm). This thickness is within this range because if the membrane thickness is less than 0.008" (0.203 mm) there is a danger that the carbonated pressure will blow the cap open and if the membrane thickness is greater than 0.022" (0.56 mm) then it will be difficult to tear the membrane when opening.
d) We thicken the area of weakness in two opposed places so that the portion of the cap part torn away will flex upwards until the thickened areas tear. The effect of this is that after the partial tear band is torn away the cap part flexes rather in the manner of the opening of a crown stopper and this permits the pressure to be released in a controlled manner.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] This invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of example and in which:-
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a closure embodying the invention
Figure 2 is a sectional plan
Figures 3 and 3a are side views of a closure from different directions and
Figure 4 is a graph.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0009] The closure comprises a cap part 1, a tear band 2 and an anchor band 3. The cap part 1 is centrally dished at 4 and has a depending plug 5 for insertion into the mouth of a container. The plug 5 has an external annular bead 6 and two annular lamellas 7 which seat against the inside of the mouth of a container. The cap part 1 also has further annular sealing beads 8 and 9 and the bottom of the plug 5 is shaped to provide an oblique line 10 when inspected from the side.
[0010] The tear band 2 in the example illustrated extends for about 90° around the closure, that is 45° on each side of a thumb tab 11 and the tear band 2 is connected to the cap part 1 by a weakened membrane 12 and to the anchor band 3 by a weakened membrane 13. The weakened membrane 12 ends at each end 14 of the tear band 2 but the weakened membrane 13 extends on around the closure to the hinge 15 to form two arcuate weakened lines. The anchor band 3 has a large main internal retaining bead 16 and a smaller auxiliary bead 17.
[0011] At diametrically opposed positions on the weakened membrane 13 there is a thickened part membrane or post 20 see figure 3a which resists tearing so that the left hand portion of the cap part 1 in figure 3a flexes upwards to release the pressure in a controlled manner until the thickened part membrane or posts 20 tear.
[0012] In operation when it is desired to open a container which is closed by a closure as illustrated the tear band 20 is torn away by seizing a finger grip 18 and pulling the tear band 2 around the closure in the usual way. When the tear band 2 has been torn to the end 14 upward pressure is exerted on the tab 11 to push the cap part 1 away from the anchor band 3 so that the rest of the weakened line 13 between the end 14 of the tear band 2 and the hinge 15 is broken and the cap part 1 pivots upwardly on the hinge 15.
[0013] It will be understood that for containers of liquid with a high aeration pressure the arc of the tear band 2 will be small e.g. 90° while with the lower pressures the arc of the tear band 2 may be longer. Generally speaking tonic water with a pressure of about 120 p.s.i. (8.44 kg/cm2) has the highest pressure of any aerated soft drinks and to provide a hinged closure with a satisfactory safety margin for such a pressure we have found that the tear band 2 should extend around the closure for not more than 45° on each side of the tab 11 i.e. 90° in all. This is clearly illustrated in the accompanying graph (Fig 4) which plots Ibs/ins2 (Kg/cm2) of pressure within a container against the arcuate degrees of the tear band 2 and shows that to reduce the tear band 2 from substantially 360° to 180° does not make much improvement after which a quick improvement sets in until with a 90° tear band 2 blowing open does not occur on tearing away until a pressure of about 145 p.s.i. (10.12 kg/cm2) within a container is reached. The pressures plotted are averages obtained from ten samples each at 90°, 120°, 150°, 180°, and a complete tear band.
1. A hinged closure for closing the mouth of a container comprising a cap part (1),
and integral anchor band (3) adapted to embrace the neck of the container or that
part of the container wall adjacent the mouth of the container and means for separating
the anchor band (3) from the cap part (1) circumferentially except over a narrow interconnecting
zone which constitutes a hinge (15), characterised in that the means for separating
the cap part (1) from the anchor band (3) comprises a tear band (2) defined by two
lines of weakness (12 and 13), the tear band (2) extending over substantially less
than the full circumference of the closure, and a single line of weakness (13) extending
over the rest of the circumference of the closure except for the hinge (15).
2. A hinged closure according to claim 1 wherein the means for separating the anchor
band (3) from the cap part (1) comprises an arcuate partial tear band (2) opposed
to the interconnecting zone constituting the hinge (15), and a line of weakness (13)
on each side of the hinge (15) between the tear band (2) and the hinge (15).
3. A hinged closure according to claim 2 wherein the arcuate tear band (2) extends
for 90°.
4. A hinged closure according to claim 2 wherein each of the lines of weakness (12
and 13) includes a thickened part membrane or posts (20) which resists tearing so
that after the partial tear band (2) is torn away a portion of the cap part (1) flexes
upwards until the thickened part membrane or posts (20) tear, the flexing action permitting
pressure within a container to be released in a controlled manner.
5. A hinged closure according to claim 2 wherein the tear band (2) is joined to the
cap part (1) and the anchor band (3) by a thin membrane, the membrane and arcuate
lines of weakness (12 and 13) having a thickness of between 0.008" (0.203 mm) and
0.022" (0.56 mm).
6. A hinged closure according to claim 1 wherein the cap part (1) has an internal
depending cylindrical plug (5) adapted to enter and seal against the internal wall
of a container mouth.
7. A hinged closure according to claim 6 wherein the outer wall of the cylindrical
plug (5) has an annular sealing bead (6) and two annular lamellas (7) in use to seal
against the internal wall of a container mouth.
8. A hinged closure according to claim 6 wherein the cylindrical plug (5) is deeper
on one side than on the other, the deepest part of the cylindrical plug (5) being
adjacent the hinge (15) so that the deepest part forms an abutment which, when the
closure has been opened, cooperates with the container mouth so as to releasably retain
the cap part (1) in the open position.
9. A hinged closure according to claim 1 wherein the anchor (3) band includes two
annular retaining beads (16, 17).
10. A hinged closure according to claim 1 wherein the cap part (1) has a dished top
(4) to resist pressure.
1. Klappenverschluß für die Offnung eines Behälters, mit einem Kappenabschnitt, einem
integralen Befestigungsband, welches den Hals des Behälters oder dasjenige Teil der
Behälterwand, das neben der Öffnung des Behälteres liegt, umgibt, und mit einer Einrichtung
zur Trennung des Befestigungsbandes von dem Kappenabschnitt über den Umfang mit Ausnahme
einer Schmalen Verbindungszone, welche ein Gelenk bildet, dadurch gekennzeichnet,
daß die Einrichtung (2, 12, 13) zur Trennung des Kappenteils (1) von dem Befestigungsband
(3) ein Reißband (2), das durch zwei Schwächungslinien (12, 13) festgelegt ist, aufweist,
daß das Reißband (2) sich nicht vollständig über den gesamten Umfang des Verschlusses
erstreckt und daß sich die eine Schwächungslinie (13) über den restlichen Umfang des
Verschlusses mit Ausnahme des Gelenkes (15) erstreckt.
2. Klappenverschluß nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Einrichtung (2,
12, 13) zur Trennung des Befestigungsbandes (3) von dem Kappenteil (1) ein bogenförmiges
Reißbandteil (2), welches der das Gelenk (15) bildenden Verbindungszone gegenüberliegt,
und eine Schwächungslinie (13) auf jeder Seite des Gelenkes (15) zwischen dem Reißbandteil
(2) und dem Gelenk (15) aufweist.
3. Klappenverschluß nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das bogenförmige
Reißbandteil (2) einen Winkel von 90° umfaßt.
4. Klappenverschluß nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Schwächungslinien
(12, 13) eine verdickte Teilmembran oder Stützabschnitte (20) aufweisen, die dem Reißen
entgegenwirken, so daß nach dem Abreißen des Reißbandteiles (2) sich ein Abschnitt
des Kappenteils (1) nach oben biegt, bis die verdickte Teilmembran oder die Stützabschnitte
(20) abreißen, wobei die Biegewirkung die Freigabe eines Drucks innerhalb des Containers
in Kontrollierter Weise zuläßt.
5. Klappenverschluß nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Reißbandteil
(2) mit dem Kappenabschnitt (1) und dem Befestigungsband (3) über eine dünne Membran
in Verbindung steht und daß die Membran und die bogenförmigen Schwächungslinien (12,
13) eine Dicke Zwischen 0,203 mm und 0,56 mm aufweisen.
6. Klappenverschluß nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Kappenteil (1)
einen inneren, nach unten verlaufenden zylindrischen Stopfen (5) aufweist, welcher
zur Abdichtung gegen die Innenwand der Behälteröffnung verbringbar ist.
7. Klappenverschluß nach Anspruch 6, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Außenwand des
zylindrischen Stopfens (5) eine ringförmige Abdichtungsleiste (6) und zwei ringförmige
Lamellen (7) zur Bildung einer Abdichtung gegenüber der Innenwand der Behälteröffnung
aufweist.
8. Klappenverschluß nach Anspruch 6, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der zylindrische
Stopfen (5) auf der einen Seite weiter nach unten als auf der anderen Seite reicht,
daß der unterste Abschnitt des zylindrischen Stopfens (5) neben dem Gelenk (15) angeordnet
ist, so daß der unterste Abschnitt eine Anlage bildet, die bei geöffnetem Verschluß
mit der Behälteröffnung zusammenwirkt, so daß das Kappenteil (1) in der Offenstellung
lösbar gehalten wird.
9. Klappenverschluß nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Befestigungsband
(3) zwei ringförmige Halterungsrippen (16, 17) aufweist.
10. Klappenverschluß nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß des Kappenteil (1)
ein tellerförmiges, durckwiderstehendes Oberteil (4) aufweist.
1. Fermeture à charnière pour obturer l'embouchure d'un récipient, comprenant une
partie (1) formant couvercle, une bande d'ancrage (3) en faisant partie intégrante
et apte à entourer le collet du récipient ou la partie de la paroi du récipient proche
de l'embouchure du récipient, et des moyens pour séparer circon- férentiellement la
bande d'ancrage (3) de la partie (1) formant couvercle à l'exception d'une étroite
région de liaison qui constitue une charnière (15), caractérisée en ce que les moyens
pour séparer la partie (1) formant couvercle de la bande d'ancrage (3) comprennent
une bande d'arrachage (2) définie par deux lignes d'affaiblissement (12 et 13), la
bande d'arrachage (2) s'étendant sur sensiblement moins de la totalité de la circonférence
de la fermeture, et une unique ligne d'affaiblissement (13) s'étendant sur le reste
de la circonférence de la fermeture à l'exception de la charnière (15).
2. Fermeture à charnière selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que les moyens
pour séparer la bande d'ancrage (3) de la partie (1) formant couvercle comprennent
une bande d'arrachage (2) partiellement arquée située à l'opposé de la region de liaison
constituant la charnière (15) et une ligne d'affaiblissement (13) de chaque côté de
la charnière (15) entre la bande d'arrachage (2) et la charnière (15).
3. Fermeture à charnière selon la revendication 2, caractérisée en ce que la bande
d'arrachage arquée (2) s'étend sur 90°.
4. Fermeture à charnière selon la revendication 2, caractérisée en ce que les lignes
d'affaiblissement (12 et 13) comprennent une membrane partielle épaissie ou des barres
(20) qui résistent à l'arrachement de manière que, lorsque la bande d'arrachage partielle
(2) est arrachée, une fraction de la partie (1) formant couvercle s'infléchisse vers
le haut jusqu'à ce que la membrane partielle épaissie ou les barres (20) s'arrachent,
l'action de fléchissement permettant une détente de la pression à l'intérieur du récipient
de mainère contrôlée.
5. Fermeture à charnière selon la revendication 3, caractérisée en ce que la bande
d'arrachage (2) est reliée à la partie (1) formant couvercle et à la bande d'ancrage
(3) par une membrane mince, la membrane et les lignes arquées affaiblies (12 et 13)
ayant une épaisseur comprise enttre 0,008" (0,203 mm) et 0,022" (0,56 mm).
6. Fermeture à charnière selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que la partie
(1) formant couvercle comprend un bouchon cyclindrique (5) en dépendant vers l'intérieur
et apte à pénétrer et s'appliquer de façon étanche contre la paroi interne de l'embouchure
d'un récipient.
7. Fermeture à charnière selon la revendication 6, caractérisée en ce que la paroi
externe du bouchon cylindrique (5) comprend un bourrelet d'étanchéité annulaire (6)
et deux lamelles annulaires (7) établissant un joint étanche contre la paroi interne
de l'embouchure d'un récipient.
8. Fermeture à charnière selon la revendication 6, caractérisée en ce que le bouchon
cylindrique (5) est plus profond sur un côté que sur l'autre, la partie la plus profonde
du bouchon cylindrique (5) étant proche de la charnière (15) de manière que la partie
la plus profonde forme une butée qui, lorsque la fermeture a été ouverte, coopère
avec l'embouchure du récipient de manière à retenir de façon amovible la partie (1)
formant couvercle en position ouverte.
9. Fermeture à charnière selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que la bande
d'ancrage (3) comprend deux bourrelets de retenue annulaires (16, 17).
10. Fermeture à charnière selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que la partie
(1) formant couvercle a une partie supérieure (4) en cuvette pour résister à la pression.