Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
WO 2021/156703 PCT/IB2021/050573
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STOPPER HAVING INTERRUPTED THREADS
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a screw type plastic stopper for bottle.
The present invention relates to the field of liquid packaging, wherein it is
very common to seal
the aperture of a container with a stopper as "caps".
Such container is an individual object. The container is usually made of
plastic, glass or
metal material. The container can be a bottle filled with a fluid or a liquid,
especially of a food
or a cosmetic product.
The stopper can be made of metal or plastic material. According to the
invention, the
stopper is made from plastic material. A plastic stopper is mainly obtained
through a molding
process.
Such stopper globally has a tubular or cylindrical shaped body closed at its
top edge by
a roof wall. The stopper body comprises a closure shell attached at its bottom
end to a tamper
band (also called "tamper evident band") through a weakness line. Such
weakness line is made
of bridges, distributed around the closure shell and the tamper band. So the
bridges link the
closure shell and the tamper band together. Moreover, the bridges are made
when molding the
stopper or after molding through a cutting step.
As known, according to a screw type stopper, the closure shell comprises inner
thread(s)
arranged inside side walls. In order to engage the stopper to seal the
container, the neck of said
container comprises outer fixation feature, such as outer thread(s) for screw
type stopper. The
combination of outer and inner thread(s) allows the stopper to be screwed on
the container neck
to seal said container and unscrewed for container opening.
Moreover, the tamper band of a screw type stopper comprises an inner annular
bead,
located at a bottom part. Such inner bead cooperates with an outer annular
ring made on the bottle
neck, under the thread(s). When sealing the bottle by screwing the stopper on
the bottle neck, the
bead goes over the outer ring and gets engaged under it in order to lock the
tamper band relative
to the bottle neck. So, when opening by unscrewing the stopper, the tamper
band remains locked
on the bottle neck and only the closure shell is moved up. During the
unscrewing, the bridges of
the weakness line are torn apart from the closure shell, which is separated
from the tamper band
and the bottle neck.
A stopper can also comprise a closure shell with a scaling roof movable from a
closing
position to an opening position, and reversely. The roof may be separated upon
opening but
remains preferably connected with the closure shell through a hinge. So such
hinge crosses the
weakness line and maintains the roof attached to the closure shell when said
roof is tilted by the
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consumer in the opening position.
During bottle opening, first the consumer unscrews the stopper and the
weakness line is
broken to separate the closure shell from the tamper band. Then when the inner
thread(s) are
disengaged from the outer thread(s), the consumer upwardly pushes with a
finger, especially the
thumb, against an edge of the roof diametrically situated at the opposite of
the hinge. So the roof
is raised up and the bridges of the weakness line are torn apart from the
closure shell, when the
roof swings around the hinge. After opening, the roof remains attached thanks
to the hinge to the
closure shell the tamper band, which is secured on the container neck.
Known screw type stopper has inner thread(s) which continuously extends along
all the
periphery of the inner walls of the closure shell. Especially, the stopper
comprises several threads
which are angularly located with an angular gap from each other. Such several
thread(s)
continuously extend in an inclined way from top to bottom of the inner walls
of only the closure
shell. The thread(s) does not extend along the tamper band. So the bottom end
of the thread(s)
stops before the weakness line. If the thread(s) goes through the weakness
line, it would be more
difficult to break the bridges and to separate the closure shell when
unscrewing the stopper.
Due to the continuous thread(s) of the closure shell, when opening by
unscrewing, the
rotation forces are applied along all the stopper, including the tamper band.
Moreover, the
rotation forces are oriented at towards the bottom to the weakness line,
located under the
thread(s), so that most of the forces are transferred from top where the
thread(s) are located to
bottom where the weakness line is located. There is a loss of part of the
forces, so that the opening
is harder for consumer.
Moreover, when sealing the stopper on the bottle neck by screwing until the
inner bead
crosses the outer ring, pression forces are applied on the bridges of the
weakness line, so that
they can break, which is an undesired condition because the integrity of the
bridges is a proof of
the tamper evidence of the bottle for the consumer.
Another screw type stopper comprises continuous inner thread(s) with venting
slots.
Such stopper is especially adapted for carbonated soft drinks (called "CSD").
The slots are
hollows managed into the internal thread(s) and they are vertically aligned to
allow the gas
contained in the bottle to get out when opening.
Summary of Invention
An object of the present invention is to improve a screw type stopper which
confers a
better distribution of the rotation forces applied when sealing by screwing
and when opening by
unscrewing.
Therefore, the stopper according to the invention comprises thread(s) which
are
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interrupted, almost in a middle part of the stopper. As such, the thread(s)
does not continuously
extend around the inner wall of the stopper.
Moreover, the stopper comprises a weakness line located near the middle area
of the
stopper and the thread(s) is interrupted along the weakness line. In other
words, the thread(s)
comprises a top part with a bottom end located over the weakness line and a
bottom part with a
top end located under the weakness line. So the weakness line cuts the
thread(s) into the top part
and the bottom part.
Thenceforth the top part of the thread(s) is located at the closure shell and
the bottom
part of the thread(s) is located at the tamper band. Such different locations
allow the rotation
forces to be distributed more regularly along all the stopper, when sealing by
screwing and when
opening by unscrewing. So the bridges of the weakness line have less tendency
to break when
sealing the stopper on the bottle neck, thanks to the bottom part of the
thread(s) cooperating with
the outer thread(s) of the bottle neck. When unscrewing such separated top
part of bottom part
of the thread(s) makes it easier to break the bridges. Indeed the tamper band
does not freely turn
anymore and is blocked, because the bottom part of the thread(s) is engaged
with part of the outer
thread(s) of the bottle neck.
According to a first embodiment, the invention aims a screw type stopper
comprising
- a closure shell and a tamper band to be secured on a bottle neck;
- a weakness line with bridges, the bridges separably link a bottom edge of
the closure shell and
a top edge of the tamper band;
- at least one inner thread, the inner thread is located and extends along
an inner wall of the
stopper;
wherein
- the inner thread is interrupted along the weakness line and comprises a
top part located at the
closure shell over the weakness line and a bottom part located at the tamper
band under the
weakness line.
According to an embodiment, the weakness line is located into a middle area of
the
stopper.
According to an embodiment, the tamper band comprises a top inner bead, the
top inner
bead is located at the top of the tamper band, over the bottom part of the
inner thread.
According to an embodiment, the stopper further comprises a hinge, the hinge
extends through
the weakness line and pivotably links the bottom edge of the closure shell and
the top edge of
the tamper band; the inner thread is interrupted along the hinge.
According to an embodiment, the top part of the inner thread comprises at
least one
locking segment, the top part of the inner thread is interrupted at each end
of the at least one
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locking segment.
According to an embodiment, one of the at least one locking segment is
diametrically
located relative to the hinge.
Another object of the present invention is to improve a bottle with a
complementary
neck regarding the above mentioned embodiments of the screw type stopper.
According to a first embodiment, the invention also relates to a bottle
comprises
- a body and a neck, the neck is top located relative to the body, the neck
comprises an aperture
to be closed by the stopper;
- the neck being of the screw type and comprises at least an outer thread,
the outer thread is
located and extends along a peripheral wall of the neck;
- the outer thread is complementary shaped relative to the inner thread of
the screw type
stopper;
wherein
- the outer thread continuously extends along the peripheral wall of the
neck;
- the outer thread cooperates by screwing and by unscrewing with the top part
and the bottom
part of the inner thread of the stopper.
According to a second preferred embodiment, the bottle comprises
- a body and a neck, the neck is top located relative to the body;
- the neck being of the screw type and comprises at least an outer thread,
the outer thread is
located and extends along a peripheral wall of the neck;
- the outer thread is complementary shaped relative to the inner thread of
a screw type stopper,
such as above mentioned;
wherein
- the outer thread is interrupted and comprise a top portion and a bottom
portion;
- when screwing the outer thread cooperates with the top part and the bottom
part of the inner
thread of the stopper;
- when unscrewing the bottom portion cooperates with the bottom part of the
inner thread and
the top portion cooperates with the top part of the inner thread of the
stopper.
According to an embodiment, the neck comprises a bottom outer ring, the bottom
outer
ring is located under the bottom portion of the thread and is complementary
shaped relative to
the bottom inner bead of the screw type stopper according to claim 3, in order
to bottom lock
the tamper band relative to the neck.
According to an embodiment, the neck further comprises
- a top outer ring, the top outer ring is located over the bottom portion
of the outer thread and is
complementary shaped relative to the top inner bead of the screw type stopper,
in order to top
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lock the tamper band relative to the neck.
According to an embodiment, the top portion of the outer thread is interrupted
along at
least one a gap, the at least one gap is complementary dimensioned and located
relative to the
locking segment of the screw type stopper according to claim 5.
5
Brief description of the Drawings
The invention can bc bcttcr understood on reading the following description
given
merely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective global view of a screw stopper according to a first
embodiment,
the stopper being secured on a bottle neck in sealing position;
FIG. 2 is a cross section view of figure 1;
FIG. 3 is a cross section view of the screw stopper alone, especially showing
an inner
thread of the stopper which is interrupted;
FIG 4 is a lateral view of a first embodiment of a bottle, especially showing
an outer
thread of the bottle neck which is interrupted;
FIG. 5 is a cross section view of a screw stopper according to a second
embodiment, the
stopper being secured on a bottle neck in a first position, especially showing
a bottom bead and
a top bead on the tamper band and a bottom ring and a top ring on the bottle
neck;
FIG. 6 is a cross section view similar to figure 5, the stopper being secured
on a bottle
neck in a second position, especially showing the tamper band blocked against
inner beads at the
early stage of the opening;
FIG. 7 is a lateral section view of a second embodiment of a bottle, in a lock
position of
the stopper, especially showing a gap into a top portion of an outer thread of
a neck of the bottle
and in dotted lines one segment of a top part of an inner thread of a stopper.
FIG. 8 is a view similar to figure 7, in an unlock position of the stopper,
especially
showing one segment vertically aligned with one gap.
Detailed Description
As required, detailed embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed
herein. The
disclosed embodiments are merely examples that may be embodied in various and
alternative
forms, and combinations thereof. As used herein, for example, exemplary, and
similar terms,
refer expansively to embodiments that serve as an illustration, specimen,
model or pattern.
In some instances, well-known components, systems, materials or methods have
not
been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the present disclosure.
Therefore, specific
structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted
as limiting, but merely
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as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one
skilled in the art to variously
employ the present disclosure.
Phrasing such as 'configured to' perform a function, including in the claims,
can include
any or all of being sized, shaped, positioned in the arrangement, and
comprising material to
perform the function.
Terms indicating quantity, such as 'first' or 'second' are used for exemplary
and
explanation purposes and arc not intcndcd to dictate the specific ordcring of
a component with
respect to other components. Terms indicating position such as 'upper' and
'lower' or 'front' and
'back' are used to indicate components relation to one another. One of skill
in the art would
recognize other configurations are possible.
The invention relates to a stopper 1. The stopper 1 has a body which has a
global tubular
or cylindrical shape. The stopper 1 comprises a closure shell 2. The closure
shell 2 comprises a
roof wall 4. The roof wall 4 is located at the top of the closure shell 2 and
globally has a plane
horizontal surface. The stopper 1 further comprises a peripheral wall. Such
peripheral wall
vertically extends around and under the roof wall 4. The stopper 1 also
comprises an inner wall
6, which is located opposite to the peripheral wall and extends concentrically
relative to the
peripheral wall.
The stopper 1 also comprises a tamper band 8. The tamper band 8 is located
under the
closure shell 2 and is designed to be secured on a bottle neck 100. Therefore,
the tamper band
8 can comprise at least one bottom inner bead 10. One bottom inner bead 10 can
continuously
extend around the inner wall 6 or several bottom inner beads 10 can
discontinuously extend
around the inner wall 6. The bottom inner bead(s) 10 is located at the bottom
of the tamper
band 8, almost near a bottom edge of the tamper band 8. The inner bead(s) 10
can be made of a
band folded inside the stopper 1 relative to the tamper band 8. The bottom
inner bead(s) 10 is
shaped to be engaged in force with corresponding bottom outer ring(s) 102
managed of the
bottle neck 100 when sealing the stopper 1 on the bottle neck 100.
The stopper 1 further comprises a weakness line 12 with bridges 14. The
bridges 14
separably link a bottom edge of the closure shell 2 to a top edge of the
tamper band 8. The
bridges 14 are distributed around the stopper 1, regularly or not. The bridges
14 are made when
molding the stopper or after molding through a cutting step.
When opening, the bridges 14 of the weakness line 12 are torn apart from the
tamper
band 8, which remains secured on the bottle neck 100 due to the cooperation of
the bottom
inner bead(s) 10 against the underside of the bottom outer ring 102. So the
closure shell 2 is
separated from the tamper band 8.
The stopper 1 is a screw type stopper. Such screw type stopper 1 cooperates
with the
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bottle neck 100 by screwing and unscrewing.
Therefore, the stopper 1 comprises at least one inner thread 16. So the
stopper 1
comprises one or several inner thread(s) 16. The inner thread(s) 16 which
extends along the
inner wall 6 from top to bottom of the stopper 1 in a screw inclined
direction, reversely and
from bottom to top in a unscrew inclined direction. In case of several inner
thread(s) 16, each
of the thread(s) 16 is angularly shifted from the others.
As the inner thread(s) 16 cooperates by screwing and unscrewing with the
bottle neck
100, the bottle neck 100 comprises at least an outer thread 104. The neck 100
comprises one
outer thread 104 or several outer threads 104. The outer thread(s) 104 is
located and extends
along a peripheral 106 wall of the neck 100. Moreover, the outer thread(s) 104
is
complementary shaped relative to the inner thread(s) 16 of the stopper 1.
According to a first embodiment of the stopper 1, such as shown in figures 1
to 3, the
inner thread(s) 16 is interrupted along the weakness line 12. Moreover, the
inner thread(s) 16
comprises a top part 160 located at the closure shell 2 over the weakness line
12 and a bottom
part 162 located at the tamper band 8 under the weakness line 12. So the inner
thread(s) 16 is
separated into the top part 160 and the bottom part 162, which are spaced from
each other in
the area of the weakness line 12. In other words, the inner thread(s) 16 does
not cross over the
weakness line 12.
As especially represented in figure 3, the weakness line 12 is located into a
middle area
of the stopper 1. So the weakness line 12 extends in parallel and near
relative to a horizontal
plan located in the middle of the height of the stopper 1.
According to another embodiment, not shown, all or part of the weakness line
12
extends in an inclined direction relative to the horizontal plan.
According to a second embodiment, such as shown in the figures 5 and 6, as the
weakness line 12 is located in the middle area of the stopper 1, it is
possible to locate an inner
bead at the top of the tamper band 8, under the weakness line 12. Therefore
the tamper band 8
comprises a top inner bead 18. The top inner bead 18 is located at the top of
the tamper band 8,
over the bottom part 162 of the inner thread 16.
The tamper band 8 can only comprise a top inner head 18, which replaces the
bottom
inner bead 10. The tamper band 8 can also comprise a top inner bead 18 and a
bottom inner
bead 10, such as shown in figures 5 and 6.
If the tamper band 8 comprises a top inner bead 18, then the bottle neck 100
comprises
a top outer ring 108. So such as shown, when unscrewing the stopper 1, the top
inner bead 18
and/or the bottom inncr bead 10 vertically move to stop against the underside
of the top outer
ring 108 and/or the underside of the bottom outer ring 102 of the bottle neck
100.
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According to another embodiment, the stopper 1 comprises a hinge 22. The hinge
22
extends through the weakness line 12. The hinge 22 pivotably links the bottom
edge of the
closure shell 2 and the top edge of the tamper band 8. Moreover, the inner
thread 16 is
interrupted along the hinge 22. In other words, depending on the height of the
hinge, the inner
thread(s) 16 does not cross over the hinge 22 and stops along the angular
length of the hinge
22.
So when opening by unscrewing thc stopper 1, the closure shell 2 separates,
through
breaking the weakness line 12, from the tamper band 8 which remains on the
bottle neck 100
until the blocking of the bottom inner bead 10 and/or the top inner bead 18.
The closure shell 2
is so in an angular position where the top part 160 of the inner thread(s) 16
is not anymore
engage with the outer thread(s) 10 of the bottle neck 100. The closure shell 2
still remains
attached to the tamper band 8 through the hinge 22 and can be pivoted relative
to the tamper
band 8 by folding the hinge 22.
According to a third embodiment, when the stopper 1 comprises a hinge 22, the
top
part 160 of the inner thread(s) 16 comprises at least one locking segment 20.
Preferably the top
part 160 of only one inner thread 16 comprises several locking segments 20.
According to a
preferred embodiment, one of the locking segments 20 is diametrically located
relative to the
hinge 22. Moreover, the top part of the inner thread(s) 16 is interrupted at
each end of the
locking segment(s) 20.
Such specific shaped of the top part 160 of the inner thread(s) 16 allows the
closure
shell 2 to be rotatably moved relative to the bottle neck 100 from a lock
position to an unlock
position, and reversely. Therefore, the bottle neck 100 comprises an outer
thread(s) 104 with a
top portion 110 which is interrupted along at least a gap 112. Especially only
one of the top
portion 110 of the outer thread 104 comprises a gap 112. If several outer
threads 104 are
angularly recovering each other relative to the height of the bottle neck 100,
then each top
portion 110 of each thread 104 comprises a gap 112 and the gaps 112 are
vertically aligned.
The gap(s) 112 is complementary dimensioned and located relative to the
locking
segment(s) 20. Especially the gap(s) 112 has an angular length bigger than the
angular length of
the locking segment(s) 20.
So, such as shown in figures 7 and 8, wherein one locking segment 20 is
represented in
dotted lines, when screwing or unscrewing the closure shell 2 relative to the
bottle neck 100,
the segment 20 is rotatably moved in front of one gap 112 in the unlock
position, shown in
figure 8. In the unlock position, the segment 20 can move up and go through
the gap 112 when
opening thc closure shell 2 around the hinge 22.
Otherwise, the segment 20 is rotatably moved from the unlock position to the
lock
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position, when the segment 20 is turned under one of top portion 110 of the
outer thread(s) 104
located at the right side or the left side of the gap 112. In the lock
position the segment 20
cannot move up and is secured under the top portion 110 of the outer thread(s)
104, such as
shown in figure 7.
According to another embodiment, the peripheral wall of the stopper 1
comprises
knurls 24. The knurls 24 extends vertically and are distributed regularly
around the stopper 1.
The knurls 24 arc protruding relative to the outer face of the peripheral
wall, in order to
cooperate with a cylindrical or conical hollow tool when sealing the stopper 1
on the bottle
neck 100, by screwing the inner thread(s) 16 with the outer thread(s) 104
until the bottom inner
bead 10 and/or the top inner bead 18 engages respectively with the bottom
outer ring 102
and/or the top outer ring 108. Such knurls 24 also makes easier for the
consumer to unscrew the
stopper 1.
Thenceforth the knurls 24 are divided into top knurls 240 located on the
closure shell 2
and bottom knurls 242 on the tamper band 8. The top knurls 240 and the bottom
knurls 242 are
separated by the weakness line 12 located in the middle area.
The invention also relates to a bottle. The bottle comprises a body and a neck
100. The
neck 100 is top located relative to the body of the bottle.
According to the invention, the neck 100 is especially designed to cooperate
with the
stopper 1, according to the embodiments above described. So the bottle neck
100 is a screw type
neck. Therefore, as previously mentioned, the neck 100 comprises at least an
outer thread 104.
So the neck 100 can comprise only one outer thread 104 or several outer
thread(s) 104. The outer
thread(s) 104 is located and extends along the peripheral wall 106 of the neck
100. Moreover,
the outer thread(s) 104 is complementary shaped relative to the inner
thread(s) 16 of a screw type
stopper 1 according to the invention.
According to an embodiment of the bottle, the outer thread(s) 104 continuously
extends
along the peripheral wall of the neck 100. Moreover, the outer thread 104
cooperates by screwing
and by unscrewing with the top part 160 and the bottom part 162 of the inner
thread 16 of the
stopper 1.
According to a first preferred embodiment of the bottle, such as shown in
figure 4, the
outer thread(s) 104 is interrupted and comprise a top portion 110 and a bottom
portion 114. So
the outer thread(s) 104 is cut into the top portion 110 and the bottom portion
114.
Thenceforth when screwing, the outer thread(s) 104 cooperates with the top
part 160 and
the bottom part 162 of the inner thread(s) 16 of the stopper 1. Reversely when
unscrewing, the
bottom portion 114 cooperates with the bottom part 162 of the inner thread(s)
16 and the top
portion 112 cooperates with the top part 160 of the inner thread(s) 16 of the
stopper 1.
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According to another embodiment, such as shown in figure 5 and 6, when the
outer
thread(s) 104 is interrupted, the neck 100 comprises a bottom outer ring 102.
The bottom outer
ring 102 outwardly extends relative to the peripheral wall 106 of the neck
100. The bottom
outer ring 102 can extend continuously or discontinuously around the
peripheral wall 106.
5 Moreover, the bottom outer ring 102 is located under the bottom
portion 114 of the
outer thread(s) 104 and is complementary shaped relative to the bottom inner
bead 10 of the
stopper 1, in order to bottom lock the tamper band 8 relative to the neck 100.
Such lock is made
when sealing the stopper 1 on the bottle neck 100.
The neck 100 further comprises a top outer ring 108. The top outer ring 108 is
located
10 over the bottom portion 114 of the outer thread(s) 104 and is
complementary shaped relative to
the top inner bead 18 of the stopper 1, in order to top lock the tamper band 8
relative to the
neck 100.
According to second embodiment of the bottle, as previously described, such as
shown
in figures 7 and 8, the top portion 114 of the outer thread(s) 104 is
interrupted along at least one
gap 112. The top portion 114 of the outer thread(s) 104 is interrupted along
several gap(s) 112.
The gap(s) 112 is complementary dimensioned and located relative to the
locking segment 20
of the stopper 1. So the closure shell 2 can rotatably be moved from the lock
position to the
unlock position, and reversely. The closure shell 2 is unlocked when the
locking segment(s) 20
is vertically aligned with the gap(s) 112.
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