Bottles and jars – Closures – Frangible member or portion
Patent
1998-01-14
1999-09-14
Cronin, Stephen K.
Bottles and jars
Closures
Frangible member or portion
215258, B65D 4134
Patent
active
059508507
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to sealing devices comprising containers and synthetic resin caps having tamper-evidence properties for sealing the mouth portions of these containers, and relates to such containers.
BACKGROUND ART
In recent years, synthetic resin containers composed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET bottles) have come into common use as beverage containers. Synthetic resin containers have the advantageous properties of being light and shatterproof in comparison with conventional glass bottles.
Additionally, as caps for this type of synthetic resin container, metallic caps of aluminum alloy or the like have been conventionally used. Using synthetic resin caps in place of these types of metallic caps has also been considered.
With regard to these types of synthetic resin caps, those disclosed in Japanese Patent Application, First Publication No. Sho 62-251352 and Japanese Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 2-296666 are known.
These conventional synthetic resin caps are screwed onto containers having an external thread formed on the mouth portions and annular expanded portions below the external thread; the caps are composed of a synthetic resin cap main body formed by a top plate portion and a tubular portion which extends downward from the peripheral portions thereof, and a thin liner provided on the inner surface of the top plate portion of the cap main body, the cap main body being such that the bottom portion thereof is partitioned, by means of a horizontal score formed around the circumference while leaving a plurality of thin bridges, into a main portion above the horizontal score and a tamper-evidence ring portion below the horizontal score. A threaded portion for screwing onto the external thread on the mouth portion of the container is formed on the inner wall surface of the main portion of the cap main body, and multiple wings or tabs are provided so as to be erectable on the inner wall surface of the tamper-evidence ring portion.
Additionally, as the containers, those having an external thread formed on the outer circumference of the top end portion of the mouth portion and provided with an annular expanded portion (locking ring) below the external thread are used.
With these types of caps having tamper-evidence properties, it is preferable that the relationship between the seal release angle, hereinafter abbreviated to SRA, and the bridge breaking angle, hereinafter abbreviated to BBA, be held to be such that SRA-BBA=0 degrees or greater, more preferably +30 degrees or greater, wherein SRA is the rotational angle at the moment the seal of the container is released due to the top end of the mouth portion of the container being separated from the inner surface of the cap or the liner when the cap attached to the mouth portion of the container is rotated from the initial position in the direction of opening, and BBA is the rotational angle at the position where the bridges are broken when the cap attached to the mouth portion of the container is rotated from the initial position in the direction of opening. That is, it is desirable, when opening the cap, that the bridges are broken before the seal is released due to the top end of the mouth portion of the container being separated from the liner or the like.
However, with the above-mentioned synthetic resin caps, there are cases wherein the bridges formed from synthetic resin expand and the engaging projections (wings or tabs) are so soft as to bend when engaging with the annular expanded portion, as a result of which the BBA can increase and SRA-BBA can become less than 0 degrees; thus, there are points requiring improvement from the point of view of tamper-evidence properties.
Techniques for separating a cap main body and a tamper-evidence ring portion with a small rotational angle in order to enhance tamper-evidence properties are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application, Second Publication No. Sho 32-1945.
As sealing devices designed to increase the above-described tamper-evidence prop
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Gomi Tatsuya
Takamatsu Kouichi
Cronin Stephen K.
Newhouse Nathan
Shibazaki Seisakusho Ltd.
Suntory Limited
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