Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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EASY OPENING CLOSURE
Related Application
This application is related to U.S. Patent
Application Serial No. 09/179,301, filed October 27,
1998, and expressly incorporates the complete disclosure
thereof.
Technical Field
The present invention is directed to closures for
receptacles and containers. More particularly, the
present invention is directed to closures for receptacles
and containers which seal the contents thereof and which
closures can be easily removed without the use of
auxiliary tools.
Background Art
Various materials are often stored in receptacles
and containers in a sealed manner using closures such as
caps, stoppers, corks, plugs, etc. In order to access
the contents of such receptacles or containers, the
closures have to be removed or transgressed. In the case
of threaded or "screw-off" caps, one merely has to grasp
and unscrew the cap. Closures such as corks are
typically removed using a corkscrew or a similar device.
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The present invention provides closures for
receptacles or containers which can be easily removed
without the use of auxiliary tools.
Disclosure of the Invention
According to other features, characteristics,
embodiments and alternatives, the present invention
provides a closure for receptacles which includes:
a cylindrical core member which comprises a
helically or spirally wound web member that can be
stripped apart by pulling an end thereof; and
an annular sealing member which surrounds the
cylindrical core member.
The present invention further provides a closure for
receptacles which includes:
an annular sealing member; and
a strippable core member which is provided within
the annular sealing member.
The present invention further provides a method of
removing a closure from a receptacle which involves:
providing a receptacle which is sealed with a
closure having a strippable core member and an annular
sealing member;
pulling the strippable core member apart in a
helically or spiral manner to form an elongate web which
is removed from the receptacle; and
pulling the annular sealing member from the
receptacle.
The present invention also provides a closure for
receptacles which includes:
a cylindrical core member which comprises a
helically or spirally wound web member that can be
stripped apart by pulling an end thereof.
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The present invention also provides a method of
removing a closure from a receptacle which involves:
providing a receptacle which is sealed with a
closure having a.strippable core member; and
pulling the strippable core member apart in a
helically or spiral manner to form an elongate web which
is removed from the receptacle.
Brief Description of Drawings
The present invention will be described hereafter
with reference to the attached drawings which are
given
by way of non-limiting examples only, in which:
Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a closure
according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a partial perspective view of the
closure of Fig. 1 which depicts how the cylindrical
core
member is pulled, stripped or unwound to remove
the
closure.
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative
embodiment of a closure according to the present
invention.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a further
alternative embodiment of a closure according to the
present invention.
Figure S is a cross-sectional view of a further
alternative embodiment of a closure according to the
present invention.
Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a further
alternative embodiment of a closure according to the
present invention.
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a further
alternative embodiment of a closure according to the
present invention.
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Figure 8 is a cross-sectional, view of a further
alternative embodiment of a closure according to the
present invention.
Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention
The present invention is directed to closures for
receptacles and containers which seal the contents
thereof and which closures can be easily.removed without
the use of auxiliary tools. The closures of the present
invention are designed to lose their structural integrity
and thereby be removable from a receptacle or container.
The closures of the present invention include
cylind-rical core members which radially support various
annular sealing members. The cylindrical core members
comprise strippable or tearable structures that can be
pulled apart in a helical or spiral manner. According to
one embodiment, the cylindrical core members can be
integral tubular structures which include a helical or
spiral perforation, groove, scoring, notch or other
weakened or frangible structure which allows the core
members to be pulled apart, stripped apart or unwound as
if they were made from~a helically or spirally wound web.
In this regard, the cylindrical core members of the
present invention can be considered (and are described
herein) as being helically or spirally wound webs which
are joined along their edges by the weakened or frangible
structures. The cylindrical core members can be
fabricated by molding or tooling the weakened or
frangible helical or spiral structure into the walls of
the cylindrical core members.
In another, embodiment, the cylindrical core members
can comprise helically or spirally wound web elements
that are held in a tubular form by the annular sealing
member.
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In yet another embodiment of the present invention,
the cylindrical core members can be provided with a pair
or more of grooves, perforations or other weakened or
frangible structures which extend axially and which can
5 be parallel or non-parallel to one another. In this
embodiment, one or more longitudinal web strips can be
pulled internally from the cylindrical core members to
relieve radial pressure or compression acting or the
annular sealing members and allow the cylindrical core
members to be removed.
Due to the manner in which the cylindrical core
members are pulled apart, striped or unwound to effect
removal of the closures of the present invention, the
closures have an inherent tamper-evident characteristic
I5 which can be an important safety factor.
The cylindrical core members can be made from
various plastic materials such as polyvinyl chloride,
nylons, fluorocarbons, polypropylene and others. The
cylindrical shape of the core members enable these
members to withstand or support large radial forces, due
to the manner in which such forces are evenly distributed
around the core members. Thus, as will be understood
from the following description of the invention, the
cylindrical core members can be suitable thin-walled,
thereby enabling them to be easily pulled or torn apart
along their frangible structures.
The annular sealing members provide a seal between
the cylindrical core members and the inner surface of a
receptacle or container which is sealed by the closures
of the present invention. The annular sealing members
are compressed or pressed into a sealing relationship
with the inner surface of a receptacle or container by
the cylindrical core members. In this regard, the
closures of the present, invention can pressed into an
opening of a receptacle or container, e.g. a bottle, in
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much the same way that a conventional cork or stopper is
pressed into the opening in a neck of a bottle or similar
receptacle or container. Once the closures of the
present invention are pressed into a receptacle or
container, the cylindrical core members ensure that the
compressive sealing forces of the annular sealing members
are maintained against the inner surfaces of the
receptacle or containers.
The annular sealing members can comprise any
suitable material which is sufficiently compressible to
create a seal between the cylindrical core members and
the inner surface of a receptacle or container. Suitable
materials from which to manufacture the annular sealing
members include, cork, buna rubber, butyl-nitrite rubber,
chlorosulfonated polyethylene, cork filled rubbers, ENBR,
EPDM, EPR, ethylene acetate copolymers, fluorocarbon
polymers such as Vikon, hydrin rubbers, hydrogenated
nitrite rubber, nitrite rubber, natural rubber, neoprene
rubber, polyacrylates, polynorborene, polyurethane,
silicon, styrenebutadiene rubber, Teflon, and similar
materials. According to one embodiment of the present
invention, the annular sealing members can made from cork
and have the appearance of conventional wine corks.
According to one embodiment of the present
invention, the annular sealing members can be coupled or
partially coupled to the cylindrical core members so that
the annular sealing members are removed from a receptacle
or container as the cylindrical core members are pulled
apart, stripped or unwound and removed from the
receptacles or containers. According to another
embodiment of the present invention, the annular sealing
members are not coupled to the cylindrical core members,
so that the cylindrical core members can be pulled apart,
stripped or unwound and removed from the receptacles or
containers independently of the annular sealing members.
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In this embodiment, the annular sealing members can be
easily removed once they are no longer radially supported
by the (removed) cylindrical core members.
The coupling of the annular sealing members to the
cylindrical core members can be accomplished using
suitable adhesives, thermal bonding, or by manufacturing
the annular sealing members from a resinous, elastomeric,
or polymeric material which is coated on the outer
surface of the cylindrical core members.
Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a closure
according to one embodiment of the present invention. In
Fig. 1 the closure is depicted as being positioned in the
neck of a bottle 1. The closure includes a cylindrical
core member 2 and an annular sealing member 3. As
depicted in Fig. l, the annular sealing member 3 is
positioned between the inner surface 4 of the bottle 1
and the cylindrical core member 2. The sealing member 3
is preferably compressed between the inner surface 4 of
the bottle 1 and the cylindrical core member 2 to provide
a seal therebetween. The cylindrical core member 2
includes a helical or spiral perforation, groove, or
other weakened or frangible structure generally
identified by reference numeral 5. This frangible
structure 5 allows the cylindrical core members to be
pulled apart as if they were helically or spirally wound
webs (as depicted in Fig. 2).
In the embodiment of the invention depicted in Fig..
1 the closure includes a bottom 6 which is integral with
the annular sealing member 3. Also in this embodiment,
the closure is provided with a cover or top 7 which is
integral with the cylindrical core member 2. The top 7
can be grasped, lifted from the mouth of the bottle 1 and
used to pull apart, strip or unwind the cylindrical core
member 2. The top 7 can include a perforated tab 8,
opening, or other structure by which one can lift the top
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7 from the mouth of the bottle 1. Although the top 7 is
shown as fitting in the mouth of bottle 1, i.t_ is possible
to use a top which extends above the mouth of the bottle
or one which even extends partially over the sides of the
bottle.
According to one embodiment of the present
invention, the cylindrical core member 2 is removed and
separated from the annular sealing member 3, by grasping
a leading end of the helically or spirally wound web that
makes up the cylindrical core member 2. In the
embodiment of the invention depicted in Fig. 1, the top
7 of the closure is connected to the leading end of the
helically or spirally wound web at 9. Once the
cylindrical core member 2 is removed, any compressive
forces which the cylindrical core 2 maintained on the
annular sealing member 3 are released and the annular
sealing member 3 can be pulled out of the mouth of the
bottle I with little resistance.
In the embodiment of the invention depicted in Fig.
I a tab 10 is coupled to the bottom 6 of the annular
sealing member 3 and can be used to pull the annular
sealing member from the mouth of the bottle 1. Tab 10
can comprise an elongate strip or cord which can be rigid
enough to extend towards the open end of annular sealing
member 3. Otherwise, tab 10 can be a non-rigid strip,
cord, etc., in which case the act of pulling, stripping
or unwinding the cylindrical core member 2 would cause
tab 10 to be pulled towards and out the open end of the
annular sealing member 3.
Tab 10 is depicted as being anchored to the bottom
6 of the annular sealing member 3 by an anchor member 11
which extends through the bottom 6. Other manners of
anchoring or coupling tab 10 to the bottom could be used,
including gluing tab 10 to the bottom 6 of the annular
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sealing member 3 or embedding tab IO into the bottom 6 of
the annular.sealing member 3.
In the embodiment of the invention depicted in Fig.
1, the bottom of the closure has a tapered portion 12
which rises above the lowest point 13 of the cylindrical
core member 2. This configuration will ensure that all
the compressive forces on the annular sealing member 3
are released once the cylindrical core member 2 is
removed from the annular sealing member. While the use
of a tapered portion 12 is useful for eliminating
substantially all the compressive forces on the annular
sealing member 3, it has been determined that there would
not be sufficient compressive.forces acting on the bottom
6 of the annular sealing member 3, absent a tapered
portion 12 to prevent easy removal of the annular sealing
member 3 once the cylindrical core member 2 is removed.
Accordingly, the bottom 6 can be flat or curved.
In an alternative embodiment which can be similar to
that depicted in Fig. 1, the lower portion of the
cylindrical core 2 can be coupled to the annular sealing
member 3 by a suitable adhesive, glue, etc. In this
embodiment, as the bottom portion of the cylindrical core
member 2 is pulled, stripped or unwound from the annular
sealing member 3, the coupled, lower portion of the
cylindrical core member 2 will pull out and remove the
annular sealing member 3 from the mouth of the bottle 1,
so that tab 10 will not be required.
It is noted that the embodiment of the invention
depicted in Fig. 1 and similar embodiments which allow
for the cylindrical core member 2 to be removed
independently of the annular sealing member 3, will allow
for the bottle 1 to be resealed by merely inserting a
cylindrical element into the center of the (removed)
annular sealing member 3 and reinserting the thus
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reinforced annular sealing member 3 into the opening of
the bottle 1.
As discussed above, the annular sealing member can
be made from various materials, including cork. The use
5 of cork will give the closures of the present invention
the appearance of conventional cork closures, which may
be desirable when using the closures of the present
invention for packaging wine. The closures of the
present invention can be covered with a label or seal
10 which will enhance the appearance of the closures, and
the marketability of the products contained in the
bottles, receptacles, containers, etc. Such labels can
also include pictorial instructions regarding the
operation, i.e., removal of the closures.
Figure 2 is a partial perspective view of the
closure of Fig. 1 which depicts how the cylindrical core
member is pulled, stripped or unwound to remove the
closure. In Fig. 2 the upper portion of the cylindrical
core member 2 is depicted as being pulled apart, stripped
or unwound, so that the web 14 of the cylindrical core
member 2, which is otherwise maintained in a wound state
by the weakened or frangible structure, can be seen in
its unwound state. Arrow "a" illustrates the direction
in which the lead end of the web 14 is pulled to remove
the cylindrical core member 2 from the annular sealing
member 3. In Fig. 2 the lower portion of the annular
core member 2 is coupled to the annular sealing member.3
by a suitable adhesive 15, so that pulling the tailing
end portion of web 14 from the annular sealing member 3
will effect removal of the annular sealing member 3. It
is noted that the lead end of the web 14 does not have to
be coupled to the cover or top 7 which is depicted in
Fig.l. In one alternative embodiment, the lead end of
web 14 can merely extend radially inward or have a
radially inwardly directed tab which can be grasped and
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pulled to remove the cylindrical core member 2. Such a
structure can be covered by a separate cover or label
which can be positioned in or above the mouth of the
bottle, receptacle or container.
Figure 3 is -a cross-sectional view of an alternative
embodiment of a closure according to the present
invention. In the embodiment of the invention depicted
in Fig. 3, tab 10 is coupled to the bottom 6 of the
annular sealing member 3 by means of an anchoring
structure 16 which is structurally coupled in a groove 17
formed in the annular sealing member 3. In this
embodiment, the tab 10 is coupled to the anchoring
structure 16. In this embodiment, the anchoring
structure 16 can comprise a disk or any suitable shaped
structure.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a further
alternative embodiment of a closure according to the
present invention. In the embodiment of the invention
depicted in Fig. 4, the bottom 6 of the closure is
integrally formed at the lower portion of the cylindrical
core member 2 or at the tailing end of the web 14 in a
manner similar to how the top 7 is coupled to the upper
portion of the annular core member talso depicted in Fig.
1). In this embodiment, the bottom 6 of the closure is
removed after the cylindrical core member 2 is pulled
apart, stripped or unwound, and as the tailing end of web
14 is pulled from the mouth of bottle 1_ In this
embodiment, an adhesive material 15 is provided at the
lower portion of the cylindrical core 2 to effect removal
of the annular sealing member 3, as discussed above.
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a further
alternative embodiment of a closure according to the
present invention. The embodiment of the invention
depicted in Fig. 5 is similar to that depicted in Fig. 4,
the difference being that in Fig. 5 the annular sealing
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member 3 includes a bottom 6' which extends beneath the
bottom 6 of the cylindrical core member 2. In this
embodiment, an adhesive layer 15 is provided between the
bottom of the annular sealing member 3 and the bottom of
the cylindrical core member 2, so that as the bottom of
the cylindrical core member 2 is removed, i.e. pulled
from the mouth of bottle 1, the annular sealing member 3
is also removed.
Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a further
alternative embodiment of a closure according to the
present invention. The closure of Fig. 6 includes a
cylindrical core member 2 which is similar to that
discussed above and an annular sealing member 3 which is
coupled to the outer peripheral surface of the
cylindrical core member 2. For example, in this
embodiment of the invention, the annular sealing member
3 can comprise a resinous, elastomeric, or polymeric
material which is coated on the outer peripheral surface
of the cylindrical core member 2. Such coating can be
accomplished by dipping the cylindrical core member 2 in
an uncured resin or polymeric composition and thereafter
curing the same to form a compressible sealing element
which is bonded to the cylindrical core member 2. In
this embodiment, as the cylindrical core member 2 is
pulled apart, stripped or unwound, the annular sealing
member 3 bonded thereto is also pulled apart, stripped or
torn and removed. Suitable materials from which the
annular sealing member 3 can be fabricated in this
embodiment include polymerizable, curable or moldable
materials including those listed above and similar
materials which demonstrate sufficient compressible
characteristics for purposes of forming a seal and which
can be torn by relatively moderate sheer forces. These
materials can be applied by conventional coating
techniques, including dipping, spraying, brushing, etc.
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It is possible to form a helical or spiral perforation,
groove, or other weakened or frangible structure on or in
the annular sealing members 3 and thereby use a sealing
material which would be otherwise less subject to being
pulled apart, stripped or torn.
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a further
alternative embodiment of a closure according to the
present invention. In Fig. 7 the cylindrical core member
2 is provided with a pair of frangible structures 5'
which define a web 16 that can be striped or pulled from
the side of the cylindrical core member 2. In this
embodiment a pull tab 10' is connected to the bottom of
the web 16 to allow it to be pulled from the bottom up.
The tapering of the side edges of the web 16 will allow
it to gradually relieve radial forces as it is torn from
the side of the cylindrical core member.
Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of a further
alternative embodiment of a closure according to the
present invention. In the embodiment of the invention
depicted in Fig. 8, the annular sealing member has been
eliminated. Instead of incorporating an annular sealing
member, the embodiment of the invention depicted in Fig.
8 includes a cylindrical core member 2 in which a helical
or spiral perforation, groove, or other weakened or
frangible structure is formed on the inside of the
cylindrical core member 2. Forming the helical or spiral
perforation, groove, or other weakened or frangible
structure on the inside or inner surface of the
cylindrical core 2 allows the cylindrical core 2 to have
a smooth outer surface which can, by itself (without an
annular sealing member) form a seal against the inner
surface 4 of a bottle 1.
It is noted that the embodiment of the invention
depicted in Fig. 8 can include a perforation, groove, or
other weakened or frangible structure similar to that
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depicted in Fig. 7, which can extend into the bottom 6,
if desired. It is also possible to provide the outer
surface of the cylindrical core member 2 with a textured
surface structure which helps assist effecting a seal.
The closures of the present invention can be used in
conjunction with a variety of products including, but not
limited to wines and other beverages, medical and
laboratory materials, food products, etc. The materials
from which the annular sealing member 3 is made should be
compatible with a desired use, e.g. non-toxic, non-
reactive, inert, etc. Likewise, the materials from which
the cylindrical core member 2 is made should be
compatible with a desired use.
The closures of the present invention are compatible
with conventional bottling techniques which compress and
press corks, stoppers and similar closures into bottles,
receptacles, containers.
A significant advantage of the closures of the
present invention is that they an be removed without the
need for auxiliary tools such as corkscrews. Thus,
products which are packaged and sealed by the closures of
the present invention, such as for example wine, can be
opened easily at picnics, and other events or locations
wherein opening tools such corkscrews may not be
available. It is believed that the closures of the
present invention can be manufactured so as to have the
appearance of conventional wine corks, and thus, in
addition to reducing the use of cork, will be readily
accepted by wine consumers.
Another advantage of the closures of the present
invention which relates to safety is that due to the
manner in which the cylindrical core members are pulled
apart, striped or unwound to effect removal of the
closures of the present invention, the closures have an
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inherent tamper-evident characteristic which can be an
important safety factor.
Although the present invention has been described
with reference to particular means, materials and
5 embodiments, from the foregoing description, one skilled
in the art can easily ascertain the essential
characteristics of the present invention and various
changes and modifications can be made to adapt the
various uses and characteristics without departing from
IO the spirit and scope of the present invention as set
forth in the following claims.
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