Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE : RECIPIENT CAP
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improved cap for the closure of
recipients, and,
more in particular, it relates to a cap for the closure of bottles, flasks,
jars, demijohns,
tanks and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
to
The closure of recipients (where recipient means any container intended for
containing a fluent material having a nechc through which the fluent material
can be
poured, such as, for example, bottles, flasks, jars, demijohns, tanks and the
lilce) is
usuahly done by means of caps. Recipients and caps are usually made of
plastic, such
as, for example, polypropilene and polyethylene. The end portion of the
recipient neclc
is usually threaded for allowing the coupling with a threaded cap. In order to
avoid
unwanted opening or tampering of the recipient content, the threaded cap is
usually
provided with an antitamper ring comiected to the cap by means of breakable
plastic
teeth. The antitamper ring is hold by a crest made in the proper position on
the
2o recipient neck. When the cap is removed, these breakable plastic teeth are
broken so
giving to the consumer a clear indication that the recipient has been already
opened.
Even if this solution provides the advantage that does not requires tools for
the
opening (recipient opener or corkscrew), it still has several disadvantages
and
drawbaclcs.
First of all, the need of breaking the breakable plastic teeth requires a
certain force by
the consumer, such a force being increased in case the recipient contains
carbonated
beverage, due to the gas pressure which acting against the cap makes its
rotation and
opening more and more difficult.
Additionally, the manufacturing of cap and recipient requires a careful study
of the
3o quotes, requires quite expensive manufacturing apparatus, and when the cap
is made
of a resin different from that of the recipient, this creates a recycling
problem as the
ring must be cut off the recipient before it can be recycled. Furthermore it
is
CONFIRMATION COPY
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occasionally possible to remove such a cap without separating it from its
antitamper
ring.
Further, dirty particles, residues, and any other kind of dust can accumulate
in the
little space formed by the breakable plastic teeth between the cap and the
anti
tampering ring and this increase the rislc of contamination of the content of
the
recipient.
Last but not least, practical experience has demonstrate that the present
system is not
fully safe as some times, and in particular having regard recipient containing
plain
water or other non carbonate beverage, both cap and anti-tampering ring can be
jointly
to removed without the rupture of the breakable plastic teeth.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a closing cap for recipients comprising an
inner cap
(10) and an outer cap (20), said inner cap (10) comprising on its upper face
(13)
retaining means (14, 15), breal~able holding means (16), and ending stroke
means (17)
and said outer cap (20) comprising on its lower face (21) a relief arm (22)
comprising
relief cutting means (23) and retaining means (24).
2o BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Fig. I and 2 represent a plant view of closing cap according to a first
embodiment of
the present invention.
Fig. 3 comprises an upper (A) and lower (C) plant view and a section view (B)
of the
inner cap according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 4 comprises an upper (A) and lower (C) plant view and a section view (B)
of the
outer cap according to a second~embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 5 represents a section view of the closing cap according to a third
embodiment of
the present invention.
3o Fig. 6 comprises an upper plant view of the closing cap according to the
present
invention during the initial (A), intermediate (B) and final (C) phase of the
opening.
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Fig. 7 comprises an axonometric view of the inner cap 10 and of the outer cap
20 of
the closing cap of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
s
With reference to figures 1 to 6, the closing cap of the present invention
comprises an
inner cap 10 and an outer cap 20.
With reference to figure 3, the inner cap 10 comprises, inside its side walls,
holding
means 12 for holding said inner cap 10 to the recipient neclc for closing the
recipient
to itself. According to a preferred aspect of the pxesent invention said
holding means 12
are represented by a proper thread (12a, 12b). Other lcind of holding means
can be
provided by the man skilled in the art, such as, for example, bayonet
coupling.
The inner cap 10 comprises on its upper face 13 retaining means 14 and 15,
breakable
holding means 16, and ending stroke means 17. According to a preferred
embodiment
15 of the present invention, the retaining means 14 and 15 consist of relief
teeth having a
face 31 perpendicular to the upper face 13 and a face 32 forming an angle
lower than
80°, preferably lower than 45°, with the upper face 13.
According to a preferred
embodiment of the present invention, the breakable holding means 16 consist in
a
shaped plastic element protruding from the plane represented by the upper face
13 and
2o closing a hole made through the upper face 13 of the inner cap 10. The
breakable
holding means 16 axe preferably colored in order to allow an easy
identification by the
user. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention the ending
stroke
means 17 consist in a semicircular barrier comprising an arm 17a and an arm
17b
linked together and forming an angle preferably in the range of from
30° to 100°
25 between each other.
With reference to figure 4, the outer cap 20 comprises on its lower face 21
the relief
arm 22 comprising relief cutting means 23 and retaining means 24. The cutting
means
are preferably represented by a semi-circular relief blade 23. The retaining
means 24
are similar to retaining means 14 and 15 of the inner cap 10. The relief arm
22 can
3o preferably comprise a projection having shape and dimension corresponding
to the
shape and dimension of the hole formed by removing the holding means 16. The
outer
cap 20 can have different external shapes for allowing a better grip by the
user. An
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octagonal shape is showed in figures 1 and 2, a circular shape is showed in
figures 3
to 6. Other shapes, such as, for example, hexagonal shape, can be provided by
a man
slcilled in the art, as well as a knurled surface can be provided in order to
further
improve the grip by the user. The outer cap 20 is preferably made with
transparent
material to allow the observation of the inner cap 10.
The outer cap 20 and/or the inner cap 10 are provided with holding means for
allowing the assembling and the holding of the outer cap 20 on the inner cap
10.
With reference to figure 4, the holding means are preferably represented by a
inner
projection 40 made on the whole inner end circular portion of the outer cap 20
and
l0 able to hold the inner cap 10 after the insertion of the inner cap 10 into
the outer cap
20. With reference to figure 4 again, the holding means can be alternatively
or at the
same time represented by a projection 43 made on the inner cap 10 that, during
assembling of the cap, runs at first in a vertical groove 44 made within of
the outer
cap 20 and then, during the rotation of the outer cap 20. on the inner cap 10,
in an
horizontal groove 45 forming a L shape with the vertical groove 44.
With reference to figure 5, the holding means are alternatively represented by
a
groove 18 made for the whole circumference in the middle of the outer wall of
the
inner cap 10 and by a corresponding groove 26 made for the whole circumference
in
the middle of the inner wall of the outer cap 20.
2o Sliding means can be preferably made on the upper face 13 of the inner cap
10 and on
the lower face 21 of the outer cap 20 to allow a better smoothness during the
rotation
of the outer cap on the inner cap.
With reference to figure 5, such sliding means are preferably represented by a
circular
projection 25 made on the lower face 21 of the outer cap 20 coupled with a
circular
groove 19 made on the upper face 13 of the inner cap 10.
With reference to figure 6, the working operation of the closing cap according
to an
embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinbelow.
a
In figure 6a is represented the starting position of the cap as settled to the
end of the
paclcaging line. The relief arm 22 comprising the relief semi-circular blade
23 and the
3o retaining means 24 is held by the retaining means 14 and by the breakable
holding
means 16.
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In figure 6.b is represented the intermediate position of the cap after the
starting of the
rotation (in clockwise direction) of the outer cap 20. The relief semi-
circular blade has
cut the breakable holding means 16 so opening the hole 41 from which the
excess of
carbonate present in the recipient can exit. The opening of the hole 41 and
the
consequent exit of the excess of carbonate contained in the recipient reduces
the
pressure of the inner of the recipient, so further reducing the force required
for the
rotation and the opening of the cap.
In figure 6c is represented the end position of the cap when the opening
operation is
concluded. The semicircular blade 23 has reached the ending stroke means 17
to entrapping the breakable holding means 16 within the so formed cavity 42.
The
retaining means 24 of the relief arm 22 has stepped over the retaining means
15 and
prevent further rotation of the outer cap 20. Accordingly, the outer cap 20
becomes
joint with the inner cap 10. The baclc portion of the relief arm 22 has
covered the hole
41 preventing any accidental pouring of the fluid contained in the recipient.
The
presence of a projection on the relief arm 22 in correspondence of the hole 41
further
improves the held of the cap of the present invention.
Even if the present invention has been described in detail with reference to
preferred
embodiments, obvious modifications realized by the man slcilled in the art are
intended to be comprised within the spirit and scope of the present invention
as
2o claimed hereinbelow.
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