Cap with plastic sleeve

Details Cap with plastic sleeve Cap with plastic sleeve

1999-10-15

2001-10-16

Shoap, Allan N. (Department: 3727)

Metal working

Method of mechanical manufacture

Assembling or joining

Reexamination Certificate

active

06301767

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to the field of caps, and more particularly to that of metal caps and over caps. Over caps, applied to the necks of containers fitted with a stopper, are intended, apart from their decorative effect, notably to guarantee that the containers are impregnable. These over caps are possibly fitted with means for easy first opening (score lines, detachable tabs, etc.. ), but if not, the head of the cap is cut off with a knife so that the container can then be opened.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
Numerous metal over caps are already known, notably those described in the patents below, in the name of the applicant :
in European Patent EP-B1-363 285, an over cap made of aluminum is described that is easily cut away and which has a peripheral ring or rib, so that a blade used to cut the cap when it is first opened is guided.
in French patent FR-B1-2 636 257, a metal cap is described that has a non-cutting tear line provided by a succession of transverse reliefs and hollows.
similarly in French patent FR-B1-2 657 031 an aluminum cap is described with a non-cutting tear line obtained through a succession of alternating reliefs and hollows.
finally in French patent FR-B1-2 665 887, an over cap is described that can be cut without risk of injury. This cap is made from a multi-layer material made up of two layers of aluminum connected to one another by an adhesive layer with a Shore hardness less than 80.
There is an ever increasing level of user safety demanded of manufactured products. This is also the case for metal caps and over caps even though, when cut in the correct manner, they pose very little risk of injuring the consumer through a cut caused by the metal edge formed when the cap is first opened. Nevertheless, it is advisable that manufactured products take account of the dangers that can be increased in the case of a consumer who cuts the cap in a thoughtless or absent-minded way.
Already in the past, as mentioned in the state of the technology, various attempts have been made to resolve this problem. In the case of over caps not equipped with means for first easy opening, it is known from French patent FR-B1-2 665 887 that an over cap made from a multi-layer material made up of two layers of aluminum connected to one another by an adhesive layer with a Shore hardness less than 80 can be cut without any risk of injury. This solution to the problem has not been developed commercially because of the significantly higher cost of manufacture, bearing in mind the initial cost of the M/P/M type of multi-layer material, where M designates a metal layer of aluminum and P designates a layer of adhesive material.
The problem to be resolved is, on the one hand to provide caps which do not cut after being cut with a knife and which, at the same time, have a cost price which is not very high. In addition, it is important that these caps resemble in their feel, their malleability and in their sonority when they come into contact with other objects, caps made of tin-lead, now in general forbidden by national legislation but which have that “top of the range” image that is always looked for by the consumer.
Finally, the applicant has sought to produce a cap which can possibly be equipped with easy opening means, during the first opening by the consumer in such a way that a single manufacturing line can, according to choice, lead to caps that can be opened either by cutting with a knife or by pulling, typically on a tab or tear strip.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, the metal cap or over cap for a container has a head and a skirt comprising a metal side wall, and has an opening area intended to be broken when the cap is first opened, is characterized in that said cap comprises a sleeve made of a plastic material that adheres to said metal side wall in the part of the cap corresponding to said opening area.
The applicant was surprised to observe that the solution proposed allowed one to simultaneously resolve the entire group of problems posed, namely to reduce the risk of injury, improve the “feel” of the caps or to allow the addition of means for first easy opening.
Generally said opening area includes the upper part of the skirt—that part close to said head—generally situated at the level of the collar of glass in the case where the container is a bottle. However, it can also include the end of said skirt, up to the angle formed by the skirt and the head, insofar as certain consumers simply cut the head of the cap with a knife. Consequently, according to the invention, said skirt is covered by said sleeve over a height at least corresponding to that of said opening area.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1043359 (1912-11-01), Revel, Jr.
patent: 3130056 (1964-04-01), Taylor et al.
patent: 3647617 (1972-03-01), Rieke et al.
patent: 3923198 (1975-12-01), Brochman
patent: 3931904 (1976-01-01), Coop
patent: 4605137 (1986-08-01), Taragna et al.
patent: 4605138 (1986-08-01), Taragna et al.
patent: 4813557 (1989-03-01), Herron et al.
patent: 5103989 (1992-04-01), Druesne et al.
patent: 5222616 (1993-06-01), Druesne et al.
patent: 0475856 (1992-02-01), None

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