CA1190896A

CA1190896A - Detachable resealable closure

Info

Publication number: CA1190896A
Application number: CA000428375A
Authority: CA
Inventors: John Walter
Original assignee: Continental Group Inc
Current assignee: Continental Group Inc
Priority date: 1983-05-18
Filing date: 1983-05-18
Publication date: 1985-07-23

Abstract

DETACHABLE RESEALABLE CLOSURE
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A plastic closure and metal neck structure of a container having resealable interlocking portions and wherein the closure has a pull tab which not only provides a sanitary cover for the pouring lip of the neck but also functions to pull the plug of the closure out of the pouring bore of the neck.

Description

39~

DETACHABLE RESEALABLE CLOSURE
This invention relates to closures particularly for narrow-neck containers. A number of this type of closures are presently on the market. The most successful of these closures re~uire the closure to be torn apart to open and thus make no provision for reclosure (see German patent 2556741~ Most of such closures also provide for a portion of it to remain with the container and a number of others are so formed that the closure itself provides a plastic pouring neck and a plastic plug is tightly fitted within the plastic neck. If the plastic is too cold when the container is opened the sealing areas are frequently chipped or deformed so that upon resealing, the closure leaks (.see U.S. paten~ 3,160,327).
The principal object of the invention is to pro-vide a novel plastic removable closure which interlocks with a metal neck structure of a con-tainer and thus obvi-ates the problems of sealing plastic to plastic, the metal in the sealing areas being so contoured that it will not

2~ fracture or destroy the plastic seal with which is cooper-ates during opening and closing of the container.
A further objec-t is to provide a novel closure and neck structure ~herein the neck structure is formed to provide a fulcrum for an opening lever which is attached to the plug of the closure so that if it is intended to open .
the closure, the lever may be simply lifted and swung over the fulcrum while pulling the plug to which it is'fastened out of the neck of the container.

--2~

Another aspect of the invention resides in pro--viding a sanitary plastic closure fitted into the non-plastic neck of the container which is fashioned to inter-lock with a plug portion of the closure below the level of the top edge of the neck, the closure comprising a top portion in the form of a disk which lays over the top edge o the neck and thus prevents dirt from accumulating between the neck and the closure.
These and other objects and advantages inherent in and encompassed by the inven~ion will become more apparent from the specification and the drawings, whereln:
Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a con~
tainer having the novel closure assembly applied thereto;
Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a ~iew similar to Figure 2 showing the parts with the opening lever lifted and the container vented; and Figure 4 is a further view similar to Figures 2 and 3 showing the open position with the closure lifted out of the container neck.
The novel closure and neck assembly generally designated 1 comprises a neck 2 at ~he upper end of a dome shaped upper end portion 3 of a metal (preferably aluminum) can or container. The can has a cylindrical body and an integral bottom (not shown~ as well known in the art.
A feature of the invention is the novel neck structure ~ which comprises a frustoconical external tubular portion 7 i~tegrally formed with the dome 3.

3~ Portion 7 texminates at its narrower upper end and merges into an outer edge o a flat ring~like flange or lip 10 of the neck. The inner edge of the lip 10 merges into the upper edge of a downwardly tapering intermediate frusto-conical wall 12 which terminates at its lower end in an inturned flange or ledge 14 located intermediate the top of the neck structure 2. The inner edge of ~lange 14 is turned upwardly into a short wall 16 to proYide a sharp corner 18. The upper end of the wall 16 is rolled into an outturned buttressing curl 1~ s.pannin~ the s.pace between the wall 16 and wall 12 and in abutment ~ith wall 1? to provide radial reinforce~ent for the top edge of the thin frustoconical wall 16.
The wall 16 defines a bore surface 20 which admits a plug of a plastic closure 22 therein, said closure 22 comprising a cylindrical sleeve or shank 24 with an ou~-wardly directed sealing ring 25 along its lower edge. Thering 25 is downwardly tapered at 26 to faci.litate its entry into bore 20, and has a top sealing surface 28 which snaps under the surface 29 of the flange or ledge 14 of the neck.
The shank 24 has adjacent to its upper edge an external sealing ring 30 of triangular cross section having an apical edge deformed against the bore surface 20. The closure has a top wall 32 integral with the upper edge of the plug shank and the wall 32 has a marginal peripheral portion 34 tangentially sealed as at 35 against the top edge of the curl. 19. The cen~er portion of wall 32 is disked down-wardly to increase the resistance of the wall 32 to outward deflection due to pressure of gasses in the container which is intended for pressurized beverages.
Wall 32 has an upstanding rivet 38 formed thereon which extends through an aperture 3~ of a disk 40 of a pilfer-indicatin~ device, generally designated 42. This disk is attached by frangible straps 44 to the lifting lever on tab 45 which in closed position of the c].osure overlies the top wall 32 as ~een in Figure 2. The lever 45 comprises an annular wall 46 with a dependent flange 47 spaced slightly inwardly from its periphery for strengthening purposes. The lever is provided with a vent pin 43 which is entered into a vent opening 49 in wall 32 as best seen in Figure 2. The lever has its peripheral edge portion 50 outwardly of the flange 47 seate.d in closed position on top of lip 10. The lever has a chordal edge portion 52 opposing an adjacent portion of the lip which also serves as a fulcrum for the lever. The lever is tethered by a strap 54 to a peripheral ed~e of the top wall 32 of the plug so that when the lever is lifted from its position 5 in Figure 2 to Figure 3 breaking the pilfer-indication~
it will fulcrum about the lip and pull on the tether and lift the plug or stopper out of the bore. After the plug is removed, flow of fluid is unobstructedO To reseal, the plug is forced into the bore to the position shown in Figure 2 and the lever is laid over the plug to enter the vent pin 48 into the vent opening 49.
Thus it will be apparent that the sealing occurs between plastic and metal parts. The plastic may be made from polyethylene or polypropylene or any o~her like suit-able resin such as will have the requisite flexibility toenter into the bore and to properly seal as the plug is loaded axially and radially~

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A pressure-resistant assembly comprising a combination of a thin metal neck structure having a plu-rality of radially spaced wall portions and one of which provides a closure receiving bore and another wall portion of which provides a support for said one portion, said one portion having radial expansion inhibiting means spanning the space between said portions, and a plastic closure comprising a radially expandable hollow plug having a seal tight fit within said one wall portion and positioned in radial alignment with said inhibiting means.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said portions are interconnected to provide a shoulder therebetween, and said closure having a sealing ring interposed with respect to said shoulder in the closed position of said closure.

3. The invention according to claim 2 and said expansion inhibiting means comprising a curl integral with said one portion.

4. A hollow neck structure made of thin metal comprising outer, intermediate and inner interconnected generally concentric tubular portions, and means between said inner and intermediate portions being disposed in a radially buttressing relationship thereto, and a closure sealing ledge extending between said inner and intermediate portions.

5. The neck structure according to claim 4 and said means comprising an outturned curl on the upper edge of said inner portion.

6. The invention according to claim 5 and a narrow lip interconnecting said intermediate and outer portions.

7. The invention according to claim 5 in combina-tion with a closure wherein said closure is made of flexible plastic material and releasably embraces the top and bottom ends of said inner portion.

8. The invention according to claim 7 and wherein said neck has an upper end and the closure has a top portion overlapping said upper end to provide a sanitary seal against said upper end.

9. The invention according to claim 8 wherein said top portion is formed and arranged to provide a pull-out tab for said closure.

10. The invention according to claim 9 and wherein said closure is expandable radially in sealing relation to said inner portion and is formed and arranged to be loaded axially by pressurizing gasses introduced into the container to tightly engage said closure with said ledge in sealing relation therewith.