Bottles and jars – Closures – Frangible member or portion
Patent
1998-02-02
1999-10-12
Cronin, Stephen K.
Bottles and jars
Closures
Frangible member or portion
B65D 4134
Patent
active
059643633
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the art of bottle closures, and more particularly to a compression failure resistant tamper evident bottle cap.
Nowadays, many bottle caps have a band which tears away from the rest of the cap, remaining with the bottle neck, when the cap is removed for the first time. One can visually, or by feel, detect when such a cap has been removed and then reinstalled, because of the failure of the anti-tamper feature. Such caps, once made of metal, now are usually molded from a plastic polymer.
The tamper-evident band is normally smaller in diameter than a retaining flange on the bottle finish, and is pushed over the retaining flange at the factory when the cap is installed. The band is connected to the rest of the cap along a weakened peripheral line, for example define by a series of perforations which weaken the material and provide a locus for failure when the cap is removed.
A problem with some caps of this type is that during installation, as the band is being forced over the bottle's retaining flange, the resistance force not only puts large axial compression forces on the weakened peripheral line: it also expands the band radially. The combination of these two factors gives rise to the possibility that the band will tend to ride up over (around) the bottom of the cap, failing the tamper-evident features-prematurely.
EP228618A2 discloses a tamper-indicating closure comprising means for preventing undue diametral expansion of the tamper-evident band. The tamper-evident band is provided with inwardly and upwardly directed protrusions on its upper edge. During relative axial movement between the tamper-evident band and the skirt of the closure, these projections engage the bottom edge of the skirt of the closure. The protrusions comprise an inclined upper and outer surface. When this surface engages the lower edge of the skirt, the tamper-evident band is prevented from unduly expanding. Such means, however, need a separate cutting operation for their fabrication and work only if there is a relative axial movement between the tamper-evident band and the skirt of the closure. This axial movement may lead to premature failure of frangible bridges connecting the tamper-evident band to the skirt.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to reinforce a bottle cap having a tamper-evident band against axial compression failure as described above.
This and other objectives of the invention are achieved by the invention described below. According to this invention, a compression failure resistant tamper evident bottle cap is formed, including a skirt with a lower edge, and a tamper-evident band formed integrally with the skirt and having structure for engaging beneath a retaining flange on the bottle so as to prevent subsequent withdrawal of the band. Frangible bridges connect the band to the lower edge of the skirt. To prevent destruction of the bridges as the cap is forced onto the bottle during installation, the skirt has one or more tabs or the like, extending downward over a portion of the band, for preventing undue diametral expansion of the tamper-evident band as it passes over the retaining flange.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings,
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a compression failure resistant tamper evident bottle cap embodying the invention;
FIG. 2 is a side elevation thereof;
FIG. 3 is a detail of a portion of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the plane 4--4 in FIG. 1, with a portion of the bottle finish added;
FIG. 5 is a detail of a portion of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a similar detail, apart from the bottle finish;
FIG. 7 shows the bottle cap being installed onto a bottle;
FIG. 8 is a view like FIG. 2, of a second embodiment of the invention,
FIG. 9 is a view like FIG. 2, of a third embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 10 is a view like FIG. 4, of a fourth embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 11 is a view like FIG. 10, showing the cap partially removed from the bottle.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODI
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Dreyer Lino
Kelly Ronald L.
Vavrik Michael T.
Cronin Stephen K.
Crown Cork & Seal Technologies Corporation
Newhouse Nathan
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