Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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INTEGRALLY MANUFACTURED CLOSURE FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKF
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to integrally manufactured
closures of plastic makerial in particular for bottles and
the like, comprising a closure cylinder having a pouring side
and a closure lid that is integrally connected with the
closure cylinder by means of at least one flexible connection
which in its closing position closes the pouring spout and
which can be folded from this closed position into an open
position.
; BACKGROUN~ OF THE INVENTION
Known bottle-closures of this type have the cylinder and the
lid connected with each other by one or several hinge or
articulation elements in the process of their production.
This linking operates in the manner of a hinge and serves to
prevent the loss of the lid when the closure is open. A spe~
cific exemplary version of such closures has on the opening
side of the cylinder a tear-off stripe that is additionally
integrally injection molded at the production and into which
the lid snaps-i~ the first time the closure is closed after
production, Such mechanical tamper evidencing means are poor-
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ly or even not at all protected against unauthorized manipu-
lations of the closure. With some skill it is poss-ible to
open them for example by a slight warming-up of the closwre
and to re-close the closure afterwards without such manipu-
lation being recognizable.
Further known bottle-closures are of the screw-off type,
whereby a lower collar is secured by punctuated molded
connections. This collar is twisted or teared off the first
time the closure is opened and then remains on the shoulder
of the bottle.
Other known closures are two or multipart constructions,
whereby a tear-oFf stripe is injection molded with one part
o-F the closure. After assembling of the closure this stripe
will hide a further part of the closure. Only removal of this
tear-off stripe for example by tearing off liberates the lid
and permits opening of the closure. The disadvantage of such
tamper evidenciny closures is the risk of loosing the lid.
Still another type of known integral or multi-part bottle-
closures consist of a capsule that is mounted on the bottle
opening subsequent to the fllling of the bott'le and that is
then deformed by shrinking under heat or by a mechanical
action in such a manner that the closure cannot be opened
without destroying the capsule. The disadvantage of such
capsules is that they require an additional working step in
the'bott'ling operation.
A purpose of the presen-t invention is to realize a closure
for bottles or like articles giving an absolute guarantee of
evidencing any tamper attempts and that can be manu-factured
in one molding operation as integral closure to keep produc-
tion costs low.
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Throughout the specification and claims the term bottle-
closure is meant to also include closures for similar uses
such as for example closures for small containers or similar
items.
A further object of the invention is to realize a bottle-
closure of high esthetical quality that can also be applied
to cosmetic products and that may be manufactured with an
unloosable lid that can be opened or closed with or without
snap action.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the inventive closure the flexible connecting element bet-
ween the cylinder and the lid is not, as in the heretofore
known closures, located and produced in one molding operation
at the hinge-side o-f the closure but in that area of the
closure where the same will be opened for use.
The flexible connection between the closure cylinder and the
lid can be either a direct connection or one via an interme-
d-iate integrally injection molded tear-off stripe. The first
opening of the closure by flexing open the lid is only pos-
sible after rupture or tearing-ofF of this connection which
thus forms a tamper evidencing means. The realization o-f the
connection as tamper evidence affords for a more economic
mold production. An interlinked tear-off part allows an easy
op~ical control of the tamper evidencing means.
A realization of the closure with a tear off stripe or a
force-off or twist-off bar connected to the flexible con-
nections makes possible a multitude of shapes, whereby a
longer stripe will be particularly favorable -for handling.
The tear off stripe may additionaly be connected with the
closure lid or the closure cylin~er at further locations,
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preferably by punctuated interlinking produced in the in-
jection molding step. This ensures a stable attachement of
the tamper evidence on one of the parts of the closure with
the result, that at assembling the closure parts are easier
to interengage due to a determinated rotation axis.
A snap hinge may be arranged on or at that side of cylinder
that is opposite the pouring side of the closure cylinder
thereby affording for the closure lid to be flexed open about
a hinge axis from its closed position into an open position.
Such arrangement has proved particularly convenient if spouts
of larger diameter are required.
The closure lid part situated at the pouring side of the
closure lid may be provided with a pouring tube and the
counter surface of the closure cylinder may have an appro-
priate counter part for receiving this pouring tube in the
closed position of the lid. Such a construction may meet the
request for an outstanding spout.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be described hereinafter in greater detail
in connection with exemplary embodiments and the drawings, in
which:
i~. 1 is a view in production position of a first embodi-
ment of a bottle-closure with tamper evidence means
according to the invention;
ig. 2 is a view of the bottle-closure of Fig. 1 when
mounted and with the lid closed;
ig. 3 is a v;ew of the closure according Fig. 1 ready for
use with the lid open after destruction of the
tamper evidence;
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ig. 4 is a side view in production position of a second
embodiment of an inventive bottle-closure with a
tear-off tamper evidencing means;
ig. 5 is a top view of the closure of Fig. 4;
ig. 6 is a view of the closure according Fig. 4 with the
lid mounted and closed and the taper evidence
stripe fitting closely around the closure;
iy. 7 is a view of the sscond embodiment from a perspec-
tive different from that of Fig. 6;
ig. ~ is a view of a variant of the inventive closure
with a twist-off bar replacing the tear-off stripe
as tamper evidencing means;
ig. S is a side view showing in production position a
third embodiment of the inventive closure with a
tear-off tamper evidencing means;
ig. 9a is a partial sectional view of a variant of the
embodiment shown in Fig. 9;
ig. 10 is a top view with respec-t to Fig. 9;
ig. 11 is a side view oF the third embodiment with the lid
mounted and closed and with a surrounding tamper
evidencing means;
ig. 12 is a -tcp view with respect to Fig. 11;
ig. 13 is a view of a fourth embodiment of the inventive
closure in which the dispensing spout is located at
the end of a pouring tube o-F the closure;
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ig. 14 shows a variant of the closure according Fig. 6 and
7, in which the lid axis for opening the lid is
displaced from the closure surface to the wall of
the cylinder;
ig. 15 is a view in production position of a sixth embodi-
ment of an inventive closure based on the embodi-
ments of Fig. 1 to 3, whereby the interlocking
parts are integrally molded with the closure
cylinder diagonally opposite each other, and
ig. 16 is a view of the bottle-closure according to Fig.
in open pouring position with removed tamper
evidencing means but a part thereof remaining in
the lid.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The embodiment according Fig. 1 to 3 shows a bottle-closure
made of plastic material, preferably of polypropylene. In the
injection molding tool the cavities of the closure cylinder 1
and lid 2 are arranged such that in manufacture the injected
plastic material can flow from one cavity to the other.
Thereby a thin and flexible element 3 is formed between the
closure cylinder 1 and lid 2 as a destroyab1e linking element
which, in the represented example, is unitary but could also
be of multiple form. Fig. 1 shows the bottle-closure as it
leaves the mold after manufacture. After production the lid 2
is folded about the element 3 onto the cylinder l whereby
fastening elements 4, shown here as fastening pins, engage in
appropriate openings so that a permanent or at least durable
securing of the lid 2 to the cylinder 1 in -this position is
obtained. Simultaneously a pin 5 provided at the lid 2 enga-
ges the pouring spout 7 in the cylinder 1 to tightly close
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this opening. The resulting bottle-closure is shown in Fig.
2. In this form as shown in Fig. 2 the closure will then
preferably be delivered to the market or to the filling
lines.
The closure lid 2 comprises two lid parts 2a, 2b connected by
a snap hinge. Lid part 2b, which is opposite the pouring side
la, is permanently connected to the cylinder l by means of
fastening elements 4, while lid part 2a on the pouring side
can be snapped open about the hinge axis 8 from its snap-
closed position on the closure cylinder l.
When the bottle-closure is opened the first time by a con-
sumer the lid part 2a on which the tightening pin 5 is pro-
vided, is flexed upwardly about the hinge axis 3, whereby the
web 3 will be destroyed by tearing. In order to keep the lid
part 2a in a determinated open position use is preferably
made of a snap hinge system of the type described in European
Patent ~ 056 469 which connects -the two lid parts 2a, 2b
through the hinge axis 8 and the intermediate elements 9. The
bottle-closure with the lid part 2a opened and held in this
open position is illustrated in Fig. 3.
The second embodiment illuatrated in Fig. 4 to 7 the inven-
tive bottle-closure has a tamper evidencing means shaped as
tear off stripeO While in the first embodiment of Fig. ~ to 3
the tamper evidencing means is realized by the connecting
element 3 in the manufacturing process, in this second emho-
diment according to Fig. 4 to 7 a further cavity is provided
in -the mold between the cavities of the cylinder l and the
lid 2. This further cavity serves to form a tear ofF stripe
13 as tamper evidencing means. The method of manufacturing
this second embodiment as well as the steps of the first
closing of the closure correspond to those described above
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for the first embodiment. As long as the bottle-closure oF
Fig. 4 to 7 has not been opened a first time the tamper evi-
dence stripe 13 lies closely around the closure as appears in
Fig.7. After the stripe 13 has been torn ofF and the connect-
ing element 3 ruptured for the first opening of the closure
by a consumer, the bottle-closure of Fig. ~ to 7 has ~he same
appearance as that shown in Fig. 2 and 3 for the first
embodiment.
Fiy. 8 illustrates a possible variant construction of the
closure of Fig. 4 to 7. In this variant the tear off stripe
13 of the previous embodiment is replaced by a stud 23 form-
ing the tamper evidence means that has to be forced or
twisted off for the first opening of the bottle-closure.
The third embodiment according Fig. 9 to 12 illustrates an
alternative to the bottle-closure according to the second
embodiment with a tear off tamper evidence. In this embodi-
ment the tear o~f stripe 13 is connected to the periphery of
lid 2 in segments by means of punctuated connections pre-fe-
rably, as shown, in different levels formed at production.
Such additional connections of the tear of~` stripe could also
be provided on the cylinder instead of on the lid as this is
shown in Fig. 9a. The further steps correspond to those des-
cribed with respect to the second embodiment. In order to
facilitate a centering of lid 2 with respect to cylinder 1
when the closure is closed the first time after production,
the lid 2 and the cylinder 1 are provided with centering
means. In the illustrated example such centering means are
shown as a pyramid-shaped device 42 on the lid 2 and an cor-
responding recess 41 in the cylinder 1.
The fourth embodiment illustrated in Fig. 13 shows a bottle-
closure similar to the previously described embodiments in
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which the pouring spout 7 and the tightening pin 5 of the
previous examples are replaced by a pouring tube 57 on the
closure lid and a counterpart 55 in the closure cyltnder.
The ~ifth embodiment according Fig. 14 shows a bottle~closure
with tear off stripe as tamper evidence means similar to the
second embodiment. It differs however from the latter in that
the hinge axis 68 of the openable lid is located at the wall
of the cylinder and not at -the closure surface as in the em-
bodiments of Fig. 1 to 13. Connecting elements 69 linked to a
hinge part 70 serve to obtain a desired snap hinge effect.
Hinge part 70 may be secured to the closure cylinder 1 for
example mechanically or by welding.
In the sixth embodiment illustrated in Fig. 15 and 16 the
closure lid 2 is integrally connected with the closure
cylinder 1 by a flexible connection~ preferably as shown by a
snap hinge 68, 6g. Diagonally opposite to this first flexible
connection a further element 72 is secured to the closure
cylinder 1 via a flexible connection 13. If the two parts 2,
72, connected to the closure cylinder 1 at opposite locations
each, are flexed onto the cylinder 1 in the correct order
they permanently interengage via fastening means so that the
closure can only be opened by destroying the second linking
connection 13. The connection 13 may also be shaped as that
shown in Fig. 8.
