Bottles and jars – Closures – Receptacle interior communicable with exterior with closure...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-27
2001-03-20
Cronin, Stephen K. (Department: 3727)
Bottles and jars
Closures
Receptacle interior communicable with exterior with closure...
C215S350000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202871
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
This invention relates to containers, more particularly to containers for beverages and other pressurized products, and even more particularly to vented containers for beverages and other pressurized products.
Containers with removable closures are often employed for beverages and similar food items. Often containers hold products that are carbonated or otherwise pressurized with a gas For example, carbonated soda or sparkling water includes dissolved carbon dioxide and is bottle at greater than atmospheric pressure. The total pressure within the container is subject to sharply increasing pressure upon an increase in product temperature and upon agitation.
A typical container assembly may include a container, a closure, and (optionally) a liner. The container often has a threaded neck and a top opening. The closure often is substantially cylindrical and includes internal threads that cooperate with the threads on the neck. The liner is disposed inside of the closure above the threads. An interior of the closure and a top portion of the neck urge against the liner to seal the container opening while the closure is in a fully thread position. The container is often formed of a glass or blow-molded plastic, the closure of an injected molded or a compression molded thermoplastic, and the liner of EVA.
Conventional threaded closures employed with carbonated beverages often ineffectively release the internal pressure of the container during opening. For example, upon an initial twist of a conventional closure, the closure and liner move relative to the container body in a screw-like manner. In response to the twisting, the sealing surfaces separate such that the high pressure gases pass through the neck and through the spaced-apart sealing surfaces. The gasses turn direction from substantially upward to substantially downward proximate the inner face of the closure to pass through the threads.
However, because the threads typically present a high pressure drop, the gas pressure only slowly dissipates. Because the closure is partially unscrewed from the container before the pressure dissipates, the pressure urging upward against the closure top and outward against the closure skirt sidewalls may force the closure off the container neck. This phenomenon, which is termed “tail end blow off,” may propel the closure from the container and cause injury to persons in the path of the closure projectile. Tail end blow off may occur under high pressure conditions that may be caused by agitation or high temperature of the product common in the usual course of storage and use of the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,126, entitled “Vented Closure,” which is incorporated herein in its entirety, includes vertical grooves formed on the inside surface of the closure that interrupt the threads to promote release of the gas downward through the threads. However, the disclosed closure has several drawbacks. The downward grooves may provide insufficient venting, as evident from its teaching of an extended closure that requires a user to make two turning motions to disengage the closure from the container. The extended closure increases the cost of the closure and inconveniences the user. Further, if a user grips the closure and container neck with his palm, the gases and entrained liquid droplets flowing through the grooves may impinge upon and wet the user's hand.
If is generally difficult simultaneously to provide venting and to maintain tamper resistant measures, including providing indication of an attempt to tamper with the container and its contents.
It is a goal of the present invention to provide a container closure that effectively releases the internal pressure of the container during opening while maintaining tamper-resistance.
SUMMARY
A closure, which is part of a container assembly for holding pressurized beverages, is provided. The container assembly comprises a container having a neck including a first thread formed thereon. The closure has a top member and a circular skirt downwardly depending therefrom. The skirt has a second thread formed thereon that is in cooperation with the first thread to enable the closure to move between a fully closed position and a vented position relative to the container. The closure and the container neck form a seal therebetween while the closure is in the fully closed position. The top member has vents or vent holes formed therein that vents pressurized gases from the container's internal chamber during the process of opening the container assembly from the fully closed position to the vented position, and while the container assembly is in the vented position. The vent holes may be formed proximate an outer edge of the top member proximate a junction area between the top member and the skirt, and preferably at the outer perimeter of the top member and/or the uppermost portion of the skirt.
The container assembly may further comprise a liner disposed on the interior surface of the top member configured such that the vent holes are formed outside a perimeter of the liner. The seal between the container and the closure preferably is formed by an underside or interior surface of the top member and an upper rim of the container neck urging against opposing sides of the liner, which is termed a top seal.
The closure includes a corner seal including a ridge peak that defines a ridge surface and an overhanging surface. The ridge surface and overhanging surface define a ridge portion of the closure. The ridge portion projects below the rim such that the lower boundary of the ridge portion is disposed lower than the uppermost rim surface to prevent exposing an edge or end portion of the liner through the vent holes. In embodiments that lack the liner, the ridge portion similarly projects below the rim to prevent straight line access to an interface area between the closure and the rim via the vent holes. The lowermost portion of the vent holes is high enough on the sidewall to prevent angled access to the liner edge. Preventing straight line access to the side or edge of the liner inhibits piercing of the liner and provides evidence of an attempt to penetrate the seal, thereby inhibiting tampering.
The vent holes may be bounded by an outer sidewall formed on the container skirt to form a substantially vertical vent outlet to direct the vent approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis (that is, z-axis) of the container assembly. Alternatively, the closure may lack the sidewall at the outer portion of the vent hole to increase effective cross sectional area of the flowpath.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1694851 (1928-12-01), Glass
patent: 2980276 (1961-04-01), Robineau
patent: 4382521 (1983-05-01), Ostrowsky
patent: 4392579 (1983-07-01), Uhlig et al.
patent: 4427126 (1984-01-01), Ostrowsky
patent: 4799598 (1989-01-01), McFadyen
patent: 4813561 (1989-03-01), Ochs
patent: 5021515 (1991-06-01), Cochran et al.
patent: 5062538 (1991-11-01), Ochs
patent: 5639815 (1997-06-01), Cochran et al.
patent: 5833088 (1998-11-01), Kladders et al.
patent: 5979683 (1999-11-01), Kobayashi et al.
patent: B1 4427126 (1984-12-01), Ostrowsky
patent: WO 99/26855 (1999-06-01), None
Cronin Stephen K.
Crown Cork & Seal Technologies Corporation
Woodcock Washburn Kurtz Mackiewicz & Norris LLP
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