Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
WO 2023/017234
PCT/GB2022/051444
A CLOSURE FOR A CONTAINER AND A CONTAINER AND CLOSURE
The present disclosure relates to a container and a closure for the container.
Such a
container may be used to house a beverage or other liquid or fluid. A
container may be of
a variety of sizes and may, for example, be a wide-mouth container or it may
be a bottle.
In some cases, it may be designed for containing a carbonated beverage. The
disclosure
also relates to the container separately, a closure for use therewith, the
manufacture of such
a container and closure, the use of such a container and closure and a method
of filling
such a container and closure with a beverage.
Containers and closures for wide-mouth containers and bottles are known such
as
those described in the applicant's earlier applications, for example
W02006/000774,
W02011/151630, W02014/006418, W02017/109463, W02017/017415 and
W02019/141973. These seek to provide a closure capable of securely closing a
container,
the contents of which may be at an elevated pressure, for example during
transportation
and/or when subject to elevated temperatures, whilst remaining relatively easy
for a
consumer to remove.
A wide-mouthed container may be used both to store a beverage (or other
contents)
and as a drinking vessel once the closure has been removed. In some cases, the
closure
may also be designed so it can be used to re-close and/or to re-seal the
container. A typical
wide-mouth container may have a mouth with a diameter or width in the range 55
to 65
mm, although the term may also apply to containers having a mouth with a
diameter or
width in the range 40 to 90 mm.
A bottle is typically used to store a beverage (or other contents) prior to
pouring it
into a drinking vessel. Commonly used bottles, such as those used to store
beer and other
beverages, typically have a mouth with a diameter of around 28 mm.
Whilst the closures described in the above documents are satisfactory in many
cases, the present disclosure seeks to provide improvements.
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According to an aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a closure for a
container,
the container having a side surface and a rim that defines an opening and an
opening axis
that is perpendicular to the opening, the closure comprising:
a top portion configured to cover the opening of the container; and
a skirt portion, connected to the top portion and configured to surround an
upper
region of the side surface of a container when the closure is connected to the
container;
wherein the skirt portion comprises one or more thread portions configured to
cooperate with one or more thread portions provided on the side surface of a
container to
define movement of the closure relative to the container in a direction
parallel to the
opening axis as the closure rotates about the opening axis relative to the
container;
the closure further comprises a liner that extends across the surface of the
top
portion of the closure and at least partway across the skirt portion away from
the top
portion; and
the liner is configured to seal the opening of a container when the closure is
connected to the container.
In an arrangement, the liner includes a seal region configured such that, when
the
closure is connected to a container, the seal region forms a fluid-tight seal
between the side
surface of the container and the skirt portion of the closure.
In an arrangement, the liner is configured such that, when the closure is
connected
to a container the seal region of the liner is not in contact with the rim of
the container.
In an arrangement, the closure is configured such that, when the closure is
connected to a container, the part of the liner extending across the surface
of the top
portion of the closure forms a liquid-tight seal against the rim of the
container.
In an arrangement, the liner is integrally formed as a single component.
In an arrangement, the liner is formed from a cross-linked rubber.
In an arrangement, the closure further comprises a lubricant provided between
the
liner and at least one of the top portion and the skirt portion of the
closure.
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In an arrangement, the lubricant comprises an antibacterial material.
In an arrangement, the closure comprises an antibacterial material provided
between the liner and at least one of the top portion and the skirt portion of
the closure.
In an arrangement, the material used to form the liner comprises at least one
of a
slip agent and an antibacterial material.
In an arrangement, the closure further comprises a hand-engagement region on
an
outer surface of the closure that is configured to have a higher static
coefficient of friction
between it and a human hand than an inner surface of the closure.
In an arrangement, the hand-engagement region comprises a layer of material
having a higher static coefficient of friction between it and a human hand
than the material
used to form the top portion and/or the skirt portion of the closure.
In an arrangement, the hand-engagement region comprises a textured surface
provided on at least part of the top portion and/or the skirt portion of the
closure.
In an arrangement, the top portion and skirt portion are formed of a non-
metallic
material, optionally a plastic material.
In an arrangement, the top portion and the skirt portion are formed of metal.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a container
for
use with a closure according to any one of the above aspects or arrangements.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure there is provided container
and a
closure comprising a closure according to any one of the above aspects or
arrangements.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a method of
filling a container with a beverage, comprising filling the container with a
beverage and
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connecting a closure to an opening of the container, wherein the closure is a
closure
according to any one of the above aspects or arrangements.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a method of
using
a container and a closure according to any of the above aspects for containing
a beverage.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example
only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows an upper perspective view of a closure according to the present
disclosure;
Figure 2 shows a lower perspective view of a closure according to the present
disclosure;
Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a container according to the present
disclosure;
Figure 4 shows in elevation the top part of the container of Figure 3;
Figures 5 to 11 schematically depict the process of removing a closure from a
container according to the present disclosure;
Figure 12 schematically depicts, in cross-section, a closure with an
arrangement of
seals;
Figure 13 schematically depicts, in cross-section, the closure of Figure 12
when
attached to a container;
Figure 14 schematically depicts, in cross-section, a closure with an
alternative
arrangement of seals;
Figure 15 schematically depicts, in cross-section, the closure of Figure 14
when
attached to a container;
Figure 16 schematically depicts, in cross-section, a closure with an
alternative seal
arrangement;
Figure 17 schematically depicts, in cross-section, a closure of Figure 16 when
attached to a container;
Figures 18 and 19 depict a container and a closure, respectively, with an
alternative
arrangement of thread portions; and
Figure 20 depicts in elevation the top part of the container of Figure 18.
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Figures 1 and 2 depict a closure 10 according to the present disclosure, with
views
from above/outside and below/inside, respectively.
As shown, the closure 10 includes a top portion 11 for covering an opening of
a
container, surrounded by a skirt 12 that extends from the top portion 11. The
skirt 12
includes thread portions 13 that are configured to engage with thread portions
of the
container in order to define movement of the closure 10 relative to a
container to which it
is to be attached.
Figures 3 and 4 depict an example of a container 20 to be used with the
closure 10
depicted in Figures 1 and 2. The container 20 includes an external side
surface 21 and a
rim 22 that defines an opening 23. The rim 22 also defines an opening axis A
that extends
perpendicularly to the plane within which the opening 23 lies. The container
20 includes
another section 24, having a primary purpose to contain a beverage or liquid,
and an upper
portion 25, having a primary function to engage with a closure 10.
The container 20 includes thread portions 26, configured to engage with the
thread
portions 13 of the closure 10 in order to define the movement of the closure
10 relative to
the container 20 while the closure 10 is being attached to the container 20
and/or while the
closure 10 is being removed from the container 20.
As shown in the arrangement depicted in Figure 2, the closure 10 may include a
seal 14, secured to an inner surface of the closure 10. The closure 10, seal
14 and
container 20 may be configured such that, when the closure 10 is attached to
the container
20, the seal 14 provides a fluid-tight seal between the closure 10 and the
container 20.
In an arrangement, the seal 14 may be formed from a different material from
the
closure 10. This may enable materials to be selected for each that have
beneficial
properties for their respective function. For example, it may be desirable for
the seal 14 to
be formed from a material that is more resilient than the material used to
form the closure
10. In an example, the closure 10 may therefore be formed from a metal, which
may not
be suitable to form the seal 14.
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As shown in the arrangement depicted in Figures 1 and 2, the seal 14 may be
retained within a recess or gland 15 formed within the skirt 12 of the closure
10. The
recess or gland 15 may be configured such that, as the closure 10 is advanced
onto the
container 20 in a direction parallel to the opening axis A, the position of
the seal 14 relative
to the closure 10 in that direction is substantially fixed, subject to small
movements that
may be caused by compression of the seal 14 and/or by manufacturing
tolerances.
Accordingly, as the closure 10 moves relative to the container 20 in a
direction
parallel to the opening axis A, the seal 14 also moves in the same direction
relative to the
container 20. In an arrangement, the seal 14 is caused to move across three
regions 31, 32,
33 of the side surface 21 of the container during the process of attaching the
closure 10 to
the container 20 and/or removing the closure 10 from the container 20.
In a first region 31, the arrangement of the closure 10 and the container 20
may be
configured such that, as the seal 14 is moved across the first region 31 by
the movement of
the closure 10 relative to the container 20, the seal can be switched between
states of
compression. In one state, the seal 14 is compressed between respective
surfaces of the
closure 10 and the container 20. In an arrangement, the seal 14 may be
compressed
between the side surface 21 of the container and a surface of the recess or
gland 15 within
which the seal 14 is fitted. In another state, the seal 14 is not compressed,
or not
significantly compressed, namely not compressed to an extent that the seal 14
may be used
in order to provide a fluid-tight seal.
In an arrangement, the closure 10 and container 20 may be configured such that
in
the process of attaching the closure 10 to the container 20, the seal 14 is
caused to traverse
the first region 31 of the side surface of the container 20 in a manner that
results in the seal
transitioning from an uncompressed state to a state in which it is compressed
between the
side surface 21 of the container 20 and an inner surface of the closure 10.
Conversely, in a process of detaching the closure 10 from the container 20,
the
movement of the closure 10 relative to the container 20 may cause the seal 14
to traverse
the first region 31 of the side surface 21 of the container in such a way that
the seal
transitions from a compressed state to an uncompressed state.
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As shown in Figure 4, in the first region 31 of the side surface 21 of the
container
20, the surface 28 may be inclined relative to the opening axis A. In an
arrangement in
which the opening 23 is circular, the inclined surface 28 may be frusto-
conical. As the seal
14 traverses the region 31 including the inclined surface 28, the separation
between the
side surface 21 of the container 20 and the surface of the closure 10 against
which the seal
14 is retained decreases. Consequently, as the seal 14 traverses the first
region 31 of the
side surface 21, the seal 14 is compressed.
In an arrangement, the angle of the inclined surface 28 relative to the
opening axis
A is in a range of 5 to 30 , optionally in a range of 10 to 20 .
In the arrangement depicted in Figures 3 and 4, in the second region 32 of the
side
surface 21 of the container 20, a plurality of grooves 27 are provided at
locations spread
around the side surface 21. When the seal 14 is positioned adjacent the second
region 32
of the side surface 21 of the container 20, the grooves 27 permit fluid to
bypass the seal 14,
even if it is in a compressed state. This may permit, for example, high
pressure gas to vent
while the closure 10 is partially attached to the container 20. In an
arrangement in which
the closure 10 and container 20 are configured such that the seal 14 is in a
compressed
state when in contact with the second region 32 of the side surface 21 of the
container 20,
the venting of high pressure gases through the grooves 27 rather than between
the rim 22
of the container 20 and the seal 14 may prevent the seal from moving rapidly
causing a
popping noise that may disturb the user.
It should be appreciated that any number of grooves 27 may be provided and the
grooves 27 need not be evenly spaced around the side surface 21 of the
container 20.
Optionally, a single groove 27 may be provided. In an alternative arrangement,
not
depicted in the Figures, one or more ridges may be provided on the side
surface 21 of the
container 20 in the second region 32. Such ridges may disrupt the seal 14 from
forming a
fluid-tight seal against the side surface 21 of the container 20. In
particular, venting paths
bypassing the seal 14 may be provided on either side of such ridges.
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In the third region 33 of the top part 25 of the container 20, the side
surface may be
configured such that the seal 14 may form a fluid-tight seal between the
container 20 and
the closure 10, thereby containing a fluid, such as a beverage, within the
combination of
the container 20 and closure 10.
In an arrangement, the side surface 21 of the container 20 in the third region
33
may be cylindrical or substantially cylindrical, arranged about the opening
axis A. The
same may apply in the second region 32 of the side surface 21 of the container
20,
excluding any grooves and/or ridges used to form a bypass path for fluid
around the seal.
Such an arrangement may ensure that, at any position of the seal 14 within the
second and/or third region 32, 33 of the side surface 21 of the container 20,
the separation
between the side surface 21 of the container and the surface of the closure 10
adjacent the
seal is substantially the same. This may ensure consistent compression of the
seal 14,
ensuring a fluid-tight seal, excepting any bypass path within the second
region 32.
In an arrangement, the side surface 21 of the container 20 in the second
and/or third
region 32, 33 may be at a small angle relative to the opening axis A. This may
assist in the
release of the top section 25 of the container 20 from a mould used in the
forming process.
In such an arrangement, the third region 33 of the side surface 21 of the
container 20 may
be configured such that a line within the surface is at an angle to the
opening axis A of less
than 50, optionally less than 3 . The second region 32 of the side surface 21
of the
container 20 may be configured such that a line within the surface is at an
angle to the
opening axis A of less than 10 , optionally in a range of 2 to10 . The line
may be the line
at which a tangent plane contacts the curved surface of the side surface 21 of
the container
20 in the second and/or third region 32, 33.
In an arrangement in which the side surface 21 of the container 20 in the
second
and/or third region 32, 33 is slightly inclined, it should be appreciated that
the change in
separation between the side surface 21 and the surface of the closure 10
adjacent the seal
14 may be sufficiently small across the second and/or third regions 32, 33
that the change
in the extent of the compression of the seal 14 is not significant.
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In an arrangement, the side surface 21 of the container 20 may be less
inclined in
the third region 33 than in the second region. This may enable a gradual
transition from
the third region 33 with least or no angle relative to the opening axis A,
through the second
region 32, to the first region 31 which, as above, may include an inclined
surface 28 used
to compress the seal 14 when the closure 10 is attached to the container 20.
This may
result in an improved sensation for the user. Alternatively or additionally,
the side surface
21 of the container 20 may be less inclined in the second region 32 than in
the first region.
Again, this may result in an improved sensation for the user.
Figures 5 to 11 schematically depict the engagement of the thread portions 13,
26
on the closure 10 and container 20, respectively, during the process of
removing a closure
10 from a container 20. In the images shown, the container 20 and its side
surface 21 and a
thread portion 26 are shown in a fixed position. For clarity, the closure 10
itself is not
shown but the relative position of a thread portion 13 of the closure 10 and
seal 14, both of
which have a substantially fixed position relative to the remainder closure
10, are shown.
In the depiction, as the closure 10 rotates about the opening axis A relative
to the
container 20, the depicted thread portion 13 gradually becomes not visible.
However, the
seal 14 which surrounds the closure 10 remains visible in all of the Figures.
It should be
appreciated that, in practice, a closure 10 may have multiple sets of thread
portions 13 such
that, as one becomes not visible as it rotates around the opening axis A,
another would
become visible. However, for the clarity of this depiction, only a single
thread portion 13
is depicted.
As shown in Figure 5, in a fully closed position, a first part 41 of the
thread portion
13 of the closure 10 is initially held beneath a thread portion 26 of the
container 20. In this
position, the seal 14 is located within the third region 33 of the side
surface 21 of the
container 20. Accordingly, a fluid-tight seal may be maintained.
As shown in Figure 6, when the closure 10 is rotated about the opening axis A
relative to the container 20, for an initial angle of rotation, the first part
41 of the thread
portion 13 of the closure 110 remains below the thread portion 26 of the
container 20. This
maintains the position of the closure 10 relative to the container 20 in a
direction parallel to
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the opening axis A. Accordingly, the seal 14 remains within the third region
33 of the side
surface 21 of the container 20, maintaining a fluid-tight seal.
As shown in Figure 7, as the closure 10 is rotated about the opening axis A
relative
to the container 20 farther, the engagement between the thread portion 26 of
the container
20 and the thread portion 13 of the closure 10 moves to a second part 42 of
the thread
portion 13 of the closure 10. The second part 42 of the thread portion 13 of
the closure 10
is inclined relative to the first part 41, such that, as the closure 10
rotates, it also moves in a
direction parallel to the opening axis A. This motion moves the seal 14 from
the third
region 33 to the second region 32 of the side surface 21 of the container 20.
As discussed
above, when the seal 14 is in contact with the second region 32 of the side
surface 21 of the
container 20, high pressure fluid, such as gas from a carbonated beverage, may
be vented
by bypassing the seal 14 through grooves 27.
As discussed above, in an arrangement, when the seal 14 is in contact with
both the
second and third regions 32, 33 of the side surface 21 of the container 20,
the seal may
remain in a compressed state. In such an arrangement, returning the seal 14
from the
second region 32 to the third region 33 does not require compression of the
seal 14. In
such an arrangement, a user may easily move a closure 10 from a position in
which the seal
14 is in contact with the second region 32 to a position in which the seal 14
is in contact
with the third region 33 of the side surface 21 of the container 20.
This may be beneficial if a user experiences excessive venting when first
opening
the closure 10, for example if the beverage within the container 20 is a
carbonated
beverage. In such an instance, the user may easily rotate the closure 10
relative to the
container 20 in the opposite direction to the opening direction, returning the
seal 14 to the
third region 33, in which it forms a fluid-tight seal, stopping the flow of
fluid through the
venting grooves 27.
As shown in Figure 8, where the closure 10 continues to be rotated relative to
the
container 20, it may reach a position in which a third part 43 of the thread
portion 13 of the
closure 10 engages with the thread portion 26 of the container 20 to prevent
further
movement of the closure 10 relative to the container 20 in a direction
parallel to the
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opening axis A in a direction resulting in the removal of the closure 10 from
the container
20.
A fourth part 44 of the thread portion 13 of the closure may be configured to
initially restrict the closure 10 from rotating further relative to the
container 20 about the
opening axis A, as shown in Figure 8. The closure 10 and container 20 may be
configured
such that, in this position, the seal 14 remains in the second region 32 of
the side surface 21
of the container 20. This may assist in completing the venting of any high
pressure fluid
before the closure 10 is fully removed from the container 20.
In such an arrangement, a user may be required to push the closure 10 back
towards
the container 20 in a direction parallel to the opening axis A at the same
time as rotating
the closure 10 about the opening axis A in order for the fourth part 44 of the
thread portion
13 of the closure 10 to clear the thread portion 26 of the container 20, as
shown in Figure
9.
As shown in Figure 10, on further rotation of the closure 10 relative to the
container
about the opening axis A, engagement of the fourth part 44 of the thread
portion 13 of
the closure 10 with the thread portion 26 of the container 20 results in the
seal 14
20 traversing the first region 31 of the side surface 21 of the closure 20.
As discussed above,
as the seal traverses the first region 31, the seal 14 transitions from a
compressed state to
an uncompressed state.
Upon further rotation, the thread portion 13 of the closure 10 disengages with
the
thread portion 26 of the container 20, with the result that the closure 10 may
be completely
removed from the container 20, as shown in Figure 11.
It will be appreciated that in order to connect a closure 10 to a container
20, the
above steps are reversed and the closure 10 is rotated in the opposite
direction relative to
the container 20 about the opening axis A. During such a closure process, the
seal 14 is
compressed as it traverses the first region 31 of the side surface 21 of the
container 20.
Thereafter, the seal 14 may remain compressed as it traverses the second
region 32, in
which venting may take place by relatively high pressure fluids bypassing the
seal 14
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through grooves 27. After further rotation, the seal 14 transfers to the third
region 33 of
the side surface 21 of the container 20, in which it may form a fluid-tight
seal between the
closure 10 and the container 20.
In an arrangement that differs from the arrangement discussed above, one or
more
of the grooves 27 may extend into the first region 31 of the side surface 21
of the container
20. In such an arrangement, venting may take place while the seal 14 is being
compressed
or released from compression as a closure 10 is being attached to, or removed
from,
respectively, a container 20.
In the above described arrangements, the seal 14 is described as being
compressed
during the process of attaching a closure 10 to a container 20. The seal 14
may be made
from a resilient material. In an arrangement, the seal 14 may be formed from
an 0-ring,
namely a gasket formed from a loop of material with a round cross-section.
Alternative
sealing arrangements may be used, for example gaskets having a different cross-
section,
including an D-ring, a U-ring, V-ring or a square-ring. Other known
compressible seals
may also be used.
Such seals 14, compressed between a side surface of the container 20 and the
skirt
12 of the closure 10, rather than merely forming a compression seal on, for
example, the
rim 22 of the container 20 may provide a very reliable seal, especially for
pressurised
contents within the container 20, such as carbonated beverages. In such a
scenario, it
should be appreciated that a pressure difference is established between the
contents of the
container 20 and the environment surrounding the container 20. This pressure
difference
acts across the seal 14. However, the pressure difference across the seal 14,
in a direction
that promotes leakage from the container 20, results in the seal 14 deforming,
for example
from the gland or recess in which it sits, into the gap between the container
20 and the
closure 10, more firmly filling the gap. This increases the ability of the
seal 14 to resist
leakage. As a result, the greater the pressure of the contents of the
container 20, the better
the seal 14 performs at resisting leakage.
As explained above, when the closure 10 is secured on the container 20, the
seal 14
engages with the side surface of the container 20 at a location set apart from
the rim 22 of
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the container. For example, the seal 14 may be positioned below the grooves 27
in the
arrangement shown in Figure 4. The thread portions 26 of the container 20,
that are
configured to engage with the thread portions 13 provided on the skirt 12 of
the closure 10,
are provided below this region. Accordingly, the thread portions 26 of the
container 20
may be separated from the rim 22 of the container 20. For example, the space
between the
thread portions 26 of the container 20 and the rim 22 of the container may be
at least two
or three times the space occupied by the thread portions 26 on the surface of
the container
20. In an arrangement, this separation of the thread portions 26 on the
container 20 from
the rim 22 of the container may be configured to provide sufficient space
that, when a user
drinks from the container 20, their lips do not touch the thread portions 26
of the container
20. This may enhance the user's satisfaction of drinking from the container
20.
One or both of the closure 10 and container 20 may be formed from a metal.
Alternatively or additionally, one or both of the closure 10 and container 20
may be formed
from a non-metallic material, such as a plastic material.
It should be appreciated that, although the above description relates to an
arrangement in which the seal 14 of the closure 10 engages with the external
side surface
21 of the container 20, in an arrangement, the seal 14 of the closure 10 may
engage with
the inner side surface of the container 20. In such an arrangement, the
closure 10 may
include an inner skirt configured such that, in a closed position, the skirt
extends inside the
opening of the container 20. In such an arrangement, the seal may form a fluid-
tight seal
between the inner skirt closure 10 and the inner side surface of the container
20. In such
an arrangement, the closure 10 may have an outer skirt having thread portions
that engage
corresponding thread portions provided on the exterior side surface of the
container 20.
Figures 12 and 13 schematically depict a closure 10 having a variation of the
sealing arrangement discussed above. As shown, in addition to the first seal
14, that may
provide a gas-tight seal between the closure 10 and the container 20 and that
acts against
the side surface 21 of the container, the closure may include a second seal
50. The second
seal 50 may form a compression seal or a flexing seal against the rim 22 of
the container
20.
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As shown in the arrangement depicted in Figures 12 and 13, the second seal 50
may
act against the uppermost surface of the rim 22 of the container 20. In an
arrangement, the
second seal 50 may alternatively or additionally act against an inner and/or
outer surface of
the rim 22 of the container, for example in a region slightly below the
uppermost surface of
the rim 22. In an arrangement, the second seal 50 may act against a tapered
inner or outer
surface of the rim 22.
In an arrangement, the first seal 14 may provide the primary gas-tight seal
when the
closure 10 is attached to the container 20, for example providing a sufficient
seal to
maintain the condition of a carbonated beverage. The second seal 50 may
function to
prevent any liquid from within the container 20 passing over the rim 22 to a
position in
which it rests on top of the first seal 14.
In an arrangement, the second seal 50 may not be sufficient to provide a gas-
tight
seal. Accordingly, the gas pressure in a region 51 between the first seal 14
and the second
seal 50 may equalise with the gas pressure within the main body of the
container 20.
However, the second seal 50 may be sufficient to prevent liquid passing over
the rim 22 of
the container 20. Preventing or minimising the presence of liquid above the
first seal 14,
namely in the space 51 between the first seal 14 and the second seal 22 may
prevent an
undesirable leakage of liquid during removal of the closure 10 from the
container 20,
which may be particularly problematic for liquids stored under pressure.
In an arrangement, the first seal 14 and the second seal 50 may be integrally
formed, namely formed at the same time from the same material. In an
arrangement, as
depicted in Figures 12 and 13, the first seal 14 and the second seal 50 may be
connected by
a relatively thin web 52, which facilitates forming the first seal 14 and the
second seal 50 at
the same time and/or may facilitate mounting the seals 14, 50 within the
closure 10. In an
arrangement, the first seal 14, the connecting web 52 and the second seal 50
may be
integrally formed as a single component.
In an arrangement, at least one of the first seal 14 and the second seal 50
may be
co-moulded to the closure 10. In such a process, also referred to as over-
moulding, the
main body of the closure 10, including the top portion 11 that covers the
opening of the
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container 20 and the skirt 12 that extends from the top portion 11 may be
formed first by
any suitable process, depending on the material to be used. Subsequently, at
least one seal
14, 50 may be formed within the closure 10 such that the already-formed
closure 10 forms
part of the mould within which the at least one seal 14, 50 is formed. For an
arrangement
such as that depicted in Figure 12, the first seal 14, web 52 and second seal
50 may be
formed in a single injection moulding process in which the main body of the
closure 10
provides part of the mould.
Such a process may be beneficial because the co-moulding process may result in
at
least one of the first and second seals 14, 50 adhering to the main body of
the closure 10.
This may result in a closure 10 that is more robust to handling, namely less
likely for either
of the seals to become detached from the remainder of the closure 10.
Alternatively or
additionally, by co-moulding at least one of the seals 14, 50 to the main body
of the closure
10, it may be possible to reduce or eliminate the possibility of voids being
present between
the seals 14, 50 and the main body of the closure 10. Such voids may be
undesirable, for
example for a container 20 and closure 10 to be used to hold liquids such as
beverages
because such voids may be difficult to clean and/or may provide spaces in
which
undesirable microbial activity may occur.
Although at least one of the first seal 14 and the second seal 50 may be co-
moulded
to the main body of the closure 10, in an arrangement at least one of the
first seal 14 and
the second seal 50 may be formed separately from the main body of the closure
10 and
subsequently attached to the remainder of the closure 10. In such an
arrangement, a seal
14, 50 may, as discussed above, fit within a suitably sized gland or recess
15, which may
be sufficient to hold the seal 14, 50 in place. In an arrangement, at least
one of the seals
14, 50 may be attached to the main body of the closure 10 by an adhesive.
Figures 14 and 15 depict a variation of the arrangement shown in Figures 12
and
13. Much of the arrangement depicted in Figures 14 and 15 corresponds to that
shown in
Figures 12 and 13 and the description thereof will not be repeated. It should
also be
appreciated that the variations to the arrangements shown in Figures 12 and 13
discussed
above also apply to the arrangement depicted in Figures 14 and 15.
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As is shown in Figure 14, the difference between the arrangements is that in
Figure
14 the first seal 60 is a U-ring or V-ring rather than the D-ring shown in
Figure 12. As is
shown in Figure 14, the U-ring 60 may be arranged to include a first limb 61
that may fit
within the recess or gland 15 within the skirt 12 of the closure 10. The U-
ring 60 may also
include a second limb 62 that at one end is connected to the first limb 61 but
at the other
end is separated from the first limb 61 by a space 63. The second limb 62 may
project
towards the centre of the closure 62, namely towards the opening axis A. As
shown in
Figure 15, when the closure 10 is attached to the container 20, the first limb
62 of the U-
ring 60 may deform to move closer to the first limb 61, reducing the size of
the separation
63 between them.
Although as shown in Figures 14 and 15, the second limb 62 of the U-ring 60
projects generally inwards and upwards in the usual configuration of the
closure 10, it
should be appreciated that this may be reversed and the second limb 62 may
generally
project inwards and downwards.
As discussed above, at least one of the first seal 14 and the second seal 50
may be
formed from a resilient material. In an arrangement, at least one of the first
seal 14 and the
second seal 50 may be formed from a cross-linked rubber. Such a material may
beneficially provide a better seal, namely one that is more resistant to
gradual release of
gas stored under pressure than other choices of seal material such as
synthetic elastomers
including thermoplastic elastomers (commonly referred to as TPEs). The use of
a cross-
linked rubber may also be beneficial because it can be deformed to a greater
extent during
the process of removing it from a mould and still return to the desired shape.
This may
facilitate the formation of a seal 60 such as that depicted in Figures 14 and
15.
Figures 16 and 17 depict a variation of the arrangement shown in Figures 14
and
15. Much of the arrangement depicted in Figures 16 and 17 corresponds to that
shown in
Figures 12 to 15 and the description thereof will not be repeated. It should
also be
appreciated that the variations to the arrangements shown in Figures 12 to 15
discussed
above also apply to the arrangement depicted in Figures 16 and 17.
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In the arrangement depicted in Figures 16 and 17, the seals may be replaced
with a
liner 90 provided within the closure 10 that may perform the sealing function.
The liner
may be provided within the closure 10, namely positioned such that, when the
closure 10 is
connected to the container 20, the liner 90 is positioned between the closure
10 and the
container 20.
As shown in Figures 16 and 17, the liner 90 may include a first part 91 that
extends
across the surface of the top portion 11 of the closure 10 and a second part
92 extending
part-way down the skirt portion12 of the closure, away from the top portion
11. In an
arrangement, the second portion 92 of the liner 90 may be configured such that
it does not
extend sufficiently far down the skirt portion 12 of the closure that it
reaches the thread
portions 13 provided on the skirt portion 12 of the closure 10.
Provision of such a liner 90 within the remainder of the closure 10 provides a
component that encapsulates the opening 23 of the container 10 and extends
part way
down the side surface 21 of container 20 and may therefore improve the
containment of a
liquid held within the container 20.
In an arrangement, the liner 90 includes a seal region 93 that is configured
to be
compressed between the skirt section 12 of the closure 10 and the side surface
21 of the
container 20 when the closure 10 is connected to the container 20. In such an
arrangement,
the seal region 93 may form a fluid-tight seal between the side surface 21 of
the container
20 and the skirt portion 12 of the closure 10.
It will be appreciated that the seal region 93 of the liner 90 may perform the
same
function as the seals discussed above that engage with the side surface 21 of
the container
20. Variations of such seals discussed above may apply equally to the seal
region 93 of
liner 90. It will further be appreciated that the liner 90 may be configured
such that, when
the closure 10 is connected to the container 20, the seal region 93 is
positioned on the side
surface 21 of the container at a location set apart from the rim 22 of the
container 20,
namely such that the seal region 93 is not in contact with the rim 22.
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In an arrangement, the closure 10 may be configured such that, when the
closure 10
is connected to the container 20, the first part 91 of the liner 90, which
extends across the
surface of the top portion 11 of the closure 10, engages with the rim 22 of
the container 20
to form a liquid-tight seal against the rim 22 of the container 20. An
arrangement of a liner
90 having a seal region 93 forming a fluid-tight seal between the side surface
21 of the
container 20 and the skirt portion 12 of the closure 10, and a first portion
91 forming a
liquid-tight seal against the rim 22 of the container 20 may provide similar
benefits to
those discussed above in relation to the arrangements depicted in Figures 12
to 15. For
example, the provision of a high quality fluid-tight seal that is capable of
maintaining the
condition of a carbonated beverage in conjunction with a second seal against
the rim 22 of
the container 10 that may prevent liquid from the container 20 from becoming
trapped
outside of the side wall 21 of the container 20, above the seal region 93.
Furthermore, the provision of a liner 90 within the volume defined by the top
portion 11 and the skirt portion 12 of the closure 10, that encapsulates the
opening 23 of
the container 20 and includes at least one integrally formed seal, may greatly
reduce the
likelihood of fluid from the container 20 leaking to a position between a seal
fitted within a
closure 10 and the remainder of the closure. This may improve its food-hygiene
performance.
In an arrangement, the liner 90 may be integrally formed as a single
component, for
example in a single process. This may reduce the manufacturing costs and may
also
reduce the likelihood of leakage through the liner. The liner 90 may be formed
separately
from the remainder of the closure 10, namely the top portion 11 and the skirt
portion 12
and then assembled into it.
The liner 90 may be formed from any of the materials discussed above as
suitable
for use in forming a seal. The liner 90 may in particular be formed from a
cross-linked
rubber.
In an arrangement, a lubricant, such as a food grade silicone spray lubricant,
may
be provided between the liner 90 and at least one of the top portion 11 and
the skirt portion
12 of the closure 10. For example, the lubricant may be provided to the outer
surface of
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the liner 90 and/or the inner surface of the top portion 11 and/or skirt
portion 12 of the
closure 10 before assembly.
The provision of such a lubricant may assist in the connection of a closure 10
to the
container 20 and/or the removal of the closure 10 from the container 20.
Specifically, for a
wide-mouthed container 20 the forces generated between the closure 10 and the
container
20 may be significant if the container 20 stores a carbonated beverage. In
combination
with the large surface area of the liner 90 that is in contact with the
container 20, this may
result in a large torque being required to rotate the liner 90 relative to the
container 20.
However, by reducing the friction between the liner 90 and the remainder of
the closure
10, it becomes possible for a user to rotate the top portion 11 and skirt
portion 12 of the
closure 10 relative to the container 20, even while the liner 90 remains
stationary relative
to the container 20.
In an arrangement, an antibacterial material, such as a silver-containing
antimicrobial, may be provided between the liner 90 and at least one of the
top portion 11
and the skirt portion 12 of the closure 10. As with the lubricant, this may be
provided to
either surface before the assembly of the liner 90 to the top portion 11 and
skirt portion 12
of the closure 10. The antibacterial material may improve the food-hygiene
performance
of the closure 10, particularly if there is any risk of a liquid becoming
trapped between the
liner 90 and the remainder of the closure 10, either leaking from within the
container 20 or
leaking in from an external source. Optionally, a single material may be used
between the
liner 90 and the remainder of the closure 10 that functions as both a
lubricant and an
antibacterial.
In an arrangement, the liner 90 may be formed from a material that comprises
at
least one of a slip agent and an antibacterial material. Such an arrangement
may provide
some or all of the benefits discussed above for the provision of a lubricant
and/or bacterial
material between the liner 90 and the remainder of the closure 10. However,
provision of
such a material within the liner 90 may facilitate the manufacturing process.
Furthermore, provision of a slip agent within the liner 90 may reduce the
friction
between the liner 90 and the container 20. This may facilitate some movement
of the liner
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90 relative to the container 20, reducing the risk of squeaking and/or
juddering when a user
removes the closure 10 from a container 20, which may provide an
unsatisfactory user
experience.
Even with reduced friction between the liner and the rest of the closure 10
and/or
between the liner 90 and the container 20, a relatively high torque may be
needed to
remove a closure 10 having a liner 90 that encapsulates the opening 23 of a
container 20.
This may result in an unsatisfactory user experience. Therefore, the closure
10 may
optionally be provided with a hand-engagement region 95 that makes it easier
for the user
to rotate the closure 10 relative to the container 20.
In an arrangement, the hand-engagement region 95 may be configured such that
the
static coefficient of friction between it and a human hand is greater than it
would have been
between the hand and the closure 10 without the provision of the hand-
engagement region
95. Although such an arrangement does not reduce the actual torque required to
remove a
closure 10 from a container 20, the felt torque, namely the level of torque
that it feels to the
user that is required, may be reduced, for example because the increased
friction between
the closure and a hand means that the user does not have to grip the closure
10 as tightly to
be able to impart the required torque, reducing effort for the user.
This beneficial effect may be particularly evident for a wide-mouthed
container and
corresponding closure. As previously explained, for such a container
containing a
carbonated beverage, the force between the closure 10 and the container 20 is
greater than
with a narrow-mouthed container. However, for such a container 20, the whole
hand,
including the palm of the hand, may engage with the closure 10, in contrast
with a narrow-
mouthed container in which it may only be the fingers that engage with the
closure 20.
In an arrangement, the hand-engagement region 95 may be provided on the
outside
surface of the top portion 11 of the closure 10. Optionally the hand-
engagement region 95
may cover the top portion 11 of the closure 10. Alternatively or additionally,
the hand-
engagement region may be provided on the outside surface of at least a part of
the skirt
portion 12 of the closure 10.
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The hand-engagement region may include a layer of material provided on an
outer
surface of at least a part of the top portion 11 or the skirt portion 12 of
the closure 10 that
has a higher static coefficient of friction between it and a human hand than
the material
used to form the top portion and/or the skirt portion 12 of the closure 10.
For example at
least a part of the top portion 11 or the skirt portion 12 of the closure 10
may be coated
with an epoxy resin based lacquer or a non-BPA replacement equivalent.
Alternatively or
additionally, the hand-engagement region may include the provision of a
textured surface
on, for example, the outer surface of at least a part of the skirt portion 12
of the closure 10.
Figures 18 and 19 schematically depict a container 70 and a corresponding
closure
80 that are largely similar to the arrangements discussed above but have a
variation in the
arrangement of the thread portions. It will be appreciated that this
arrangement of the
thread portions may be combined with any of the variations discussed above.
In the arrangement shown, the container 70 has six thread portions. Three
thread portions
71, 72, 73 on the side of the container 70 visible in Figure 18, provide a
first, interrupted,
thread. The remaining thread portions of the container 70, not visible in
Figure 18, form a
second interrupted thread. As shown, the thread portions of the container 70
are arranged
such that none of the thread portions of the container forming the interrupted
threads
overlap another thread portion of the container 70. In other words no part of
any one
thread portion is arranged above a part of another thread portion, or above a
part of a
virtual thread formed by two or more other thread portions, in the direction
of the opening
axis.
Figure 19 depicts a closure 80 to be used in conjunction with the container 70
shown in Figure 18. As shown, in this arrangement, the closure 80 has thread
portions that
form two continuous threads 81, 82. When the closure 80 engages with the
container 70,
each of the continuous threads 81, 82 of the closure respectively engage with
the thread
portions that form one interrupted thread on the container 70.
Figure 20 depicts a side elevation of a top part of the container 70 depicted
in
Figure 18. In particular, Figure 20 depicts the thread portions 71, 72, 73
that form a single
interrupted thread on the container 70. As shown, the lower edge of the thread
portions 71,
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72, 73 forming the interrupted threads of the container 70 extend in a
direction along the
thread at an oblique angle to the opening of the container 70. In an
arrangement, the thread
portions 71, 72, 73 forming each of the interrupted threads of the container
70 may be
arranged to form a virtual helical thread. It will be appreciated that the
continuous threads
provided within the closure 80 are arranged at a corresponding angle.
It should also be appreciated that, although in the arrangements depicted in
Figures
18 to 20, the container 70 has six thread portions arranged in such a way that
the container
70 is provided with two interrupted threads, other arrangements may be used.
Specifically,
the container 70 may be provided with thread portions that combine to form any
number of
interrupted threads and each interrupted thread may be formed of any plurality
of thread
portions.
In addition to the arrangement depicted in Figures 18 to 20, a convenient
arrangement of a container 70 may have three interrupted threads, each formed
of two
thread portions. Alternatively, in a convenient arrangement, a container 70
may have a
single interrupted thread formed of three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine
or ten thread
portions. In each arrangement, the closure 80 may be provided with a
continuous thread
corresponding to each of the interrupted threads provided on the container 70.
Providing non-overlapping interrupted threads on the container 70 may enable
the
provision of an arrangement in which the friction between the thread portions
of the
container 70 and closure 80 are kept sufficiently low that removing the
closure 80 from the
container 70 does not become difficult for a user. Alternatively or
additionally, the use of
one or more interrupted threads on the container 70, namely arrangements
having a
substantial separation between the thread portions on the container 70 forming
the
interrupted thread, such as a separation significantly greater than the width
of the thread
portions, may ensure that additional pressure relief features need not be
provided to permit
excess gas pressure to pass the thread portions. Alternatively or
additionally, providing
non-overlapping interrupted threads may reduce the impact on a user drinking
from the
container of the presence of the thread portions on the container.
Alternatively or
additionally, minimising the size of the thread portions formed on the
container 70 may
facilitate the manufacture of the container 70.
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In an arrangement, the length of each of the thread portions of the container
70 in a
direction along the thread may be approximately the same as the separation
between
adjacent thread portions. In such an arrangement, the total length of thread
portion on the
container 70 engaged with one of the continuous threads of a closure 80
connected to the
container 70 would represent approximately 50% of the circumference of the
container 70.
Such an arrangement may provide a good compromise between the desire to
minimise the
size of the thread portions on the container and the requirement to have
sufficient
engagement of thread portions that the material of the thread portions formed
on the
container maintains its integrity under the stresses imparted by the
containment of a
pressurised beverage within the container 70. In arrangements, the length of
the thread
portions of the container 70 in a direction along the thread and the
separation between
them may be configured such that the combined length of the thread portions is
in a range
of approximately 25% to 75% of the circumference of the container 70.
However, by combining a container 70 having one or more interrupted threads
with
a closure having corresponding continuous threads makes possible an
arrangement in
which the closure 80 must be rotated about the opening axis relative to the
container 70 by
a sufficiently large angle in order to remove the closure 80 that one can
reduce the risk of
an accidental removal of the closure 80 to an acceptable level.
In this respect, it should be appreciated that, although the thread portions
of the
container 70 are arranged such that none overlap another thread portion of the
container,
the thread portions of the closure 80 forming the one or more continuous
threads may
overlap in order to ensure that they are sufficiently long that the rotation
required to
remove the closure 80 from the container 70 is sufficiently large. For
example, it may be
desirable to ensure that the thread portions of the closure forming the
continuous threads of
the closure extend around at least half of the circumference of the closure.
In the
arrangement shown in Figure 19, each of the thread portions 81, 82 forming
respective
continuous threads on the closure 80, extend almost a complete circumference
of the
closure 80.
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