EA036800B1 - Tamper evident closure - Google Patents

Abstract

Tamper evident closure (100) for a liquid container having a neck (2) with an opening defining a pourer orifice (3), said tamper evident closure extending in an axial direction (X-X) and comprising: a tubular member (101) comprising an upper portion (102) and a lower portion (103) with a lower edge (113) surrounding an open bottom end (101a); and a plug member (123) coupled with said tubular member, configured to selectively close and open the pourer orifice of the liquid container. The lower end portion (103) of said tubular member comprises axial constraining means (110) configured to engage with corresponding axial constraining means of the container (5) in order to constrain said lower portion of the tubular member to the container in the axial direction (X-X) and thereby prevent its removal therefrom. Said lower portion (103) of said tubular member (101) also comprises at least one recess (115) positioned between said lower edge (113) and said axial constraining means (110), the recess including at least a portion with a reduced wall thickness (S2) whereby an axial thrust exceeding a predetermined value applied against said lower edge (113) in the direction of the upper portion (102) of said tubular member (101) will result in a visible deformation of the lower portion (103) at the recess (115).

Description

The technical field to which the invention relates

The present invention relates to a tamper evident closure for a container for liquids having a neck that terminates in a pouring opening.

Background of the invention

Tamper evident closures of the aforementioned type are described, for example, in EP 1603809, EP 1636110, EP 988237.

These closures comprise a tubular member that is open at the bottom and a closure for selectively closing and opening the outlet of the container for liquids. The tubular element consists of an upper part and a lower part, connected by a fragile part that collapses on first opening and provides an indication / evidence that the container has been opened. The lower part is held longitudinally relative to the container by means of elements that contact directly with the container, or by means of intermediate members, which, in turn, are held longitudinally relative to the container.

While such closures provide evidence / indication that a container has been opened, they are often subject to tampering attempts by fraudsters or counterfeiters seeking to separate the closure from the container neck without damage (for example, without destroying the fragile part) so that remove the valuable liquid in the container and replace it with a lower quality liquid and then close the container again by replacing the unbreakable closure so that it appears that the container has never been opened and that the contents are genuine. This type of fraudulent activity has clear implications for the health of consumers and for the reputation of the original bottler.

In the prior art, many solutions have been proposed for preventing such fraudulent closure separation. In one example, two or more elements interact with each other during separation of the closure resulting in visible destruction or alteration of the closure elements, providing evidence of an attempt at tampering with the closure and therefore deterring fraudsters or counterfeiters from further attempts at similar closures. ...

While such known solutions are very effective, they are complex and expensive.

The essence of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a tamper evident closure having a simple and inexpensive construction that is capable of making an apparent tampering attempt by separating the closure from the container on which it is fitted.

This and other objects, which will become apparent from the description below, are achieved by a tamper evident closure according to claim 1.

Brief Description of Drawings

The invention will be further described with reference to preferred embodiments, given by way of non-limiting examples, which are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a tamper evident closure fitted to a container for liquids, in particular a bottleneck, according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 shows a schematic sectional view of the tamper evident closure of FIG. 1 during an attempted opening;

fig. 3 shows a schematic sectional view of the tamper evident closure of FIG. 1 showing deformations as a consequence of an attempted opening;

fig. 4 shows a schematic sectional view of a tamper evident closure according to a second embodiment of the present invention for use on a container for liquids, in particular for a bottle neck, although the closure is shown without the container for clarity;

fig. 5 corresponds to FIG. 4, but shows a tamper evident closure according to a second embodiment fitted onto a container for liquids, in particular a bottleneck;

fig. 6 shows a schematic sectional view of a tamper evident closure fitted to a container for liquids, in particular a bottleneck, according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 7 shows a schematic sectional view of a tamper evident closure fitted onto a container for liquids, in particular a bottleneck, according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

- 1 036800

Detailed description

Certain features / elements described in connection with a particular embodiment, even if not explicitly expressed, should be considered as possible and / or interchangeable with other features / elements described in connection with other specific embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows a tamper evident closure 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention for use with a container 1 for liquids. The container 1 for liquids, for example a bottle for alcoholic beverages, has a neck 2 ending in an opening or inlet part that defines the boundaries of the pouring hole 3.

The closure 100 comprises a tubular member 101 that is open at the lower end 101a and extends along the longitudinal axial direction X-X between the upper or top end cap-like end portion 102 and the lower or lower (bottom) end part 103, like a sleeve. The sleeve-like portion 103 has a lower edge 113 defining the lower opening of the tubular element 101. The lower edge may be formed with a surface forming an angle of 60 ° to 120 ° with respect to the longitudinal axis X-X.

The fragile portion 107 connects the cap-like portion 102 to the sleeve-like portion 103. The fragile portion 107 is formed by a circumferential line of weakness, consisting of, for example, slots separated in the circumferential direction by destructible connecting elements, and is configured to break on first opening when the cap-like portion 102 is separated from the sleeve-like portion 103, as described below. It should be understood that other forms of breakable connection between the cap-like portion 102 and the sleeve-like portion 103 may be used instead.

The closure 100 further comprises a closure 123 adapted to close and open the pouring opening 3 of the container 1 for liquids. In particular, the closure element 123 comprises an edge 120 adapted to be inserted inside the neck 2 of the container 1 and hermetically closed.

In this embodiment, the closure member 123, together with the cap-like portion 102 of the tubular member 101, forms a removable closure cap 121 that can be removably attached to the neck 2 of the liquid container 1 to open and close the pouring hole 3. Closure member 123 further comprises a tubular skirt 122 coaxial with an edge 120 that both extend longitudinally downward from the upper end 123a of the closure member 123. The tubular skirt 122 has an internal thread 111 adapted to engage with the external thread 6 of the neck 2 to allow opening and closing the container 1 by unscrewing / screwing. The closure member 123 is connected to the cap-like portion 102 of the tubular member 101 such that gripping and pivoting of the cap-like portion 102 causes the closure member 123 to rotate and displace it axially due to the threaded connection of the female thread 111 with the corresponding male thread 6 on the neck 2 In particular, the skirt 122 extends inwardly and is rigidly attached to the cap-like portion 102. The closure member 123 and the cap-like portion 102 may be integrally formed in one piece.

The plug 123 can be formed from plastics of the polyolefin family, such as low density polyethylene (LDPE). The cap-like portion 102 and the liner-like portion 103 can be formed from plastics such as high density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), or styrene-butadiene copolymer with a predominant linkage. styrene (SB). For aesthetic purposes, the cap 121 may be covered with an aluminum shell having a fragile portion corresponding to the fragile portion 107.

The sleeve-like portion 103 of the tubular element 101 is provided with inwardly spaced circumferentially spaced anti-rotation members 109 that are adapted to engage with corresponding circumferentially spaced anti-rotation members 4 that project outward from the neck 2 of the container 1 to keep the tubular member 101 from pivoting relative to the container 1. In particular, during the first opening of the closure, when the cap-like portion 102 is gripped and unscrewed, the applied torque is first transferred to the sleeve-like portion 103 through the fragile joint 107, but rotation of the sleeve-like element 103 is prevented by the respective anti-rotation retaining elements 4, 109. Since the cap-like portion 121 and the sleeve-like portion 103 are initially bonded together via the fragile joint 107, rotation of the cap-like member 102 and hence the plug member 123 connected thereto is also initially prevented as long as the force transmitted through the fragile joint 107 will not become large enough to destroy this compound. Once the fragile joint 107 is broken, the cap 121 can be unscrewed from the container 1 to remove the closure 123 from the pouring hole 3 and therefore to open the pouring hole 3.

The sleeve-like portion 103 of the tubular element 101 is additionally formed with at least

- 2 036800 one holding element 110 extending radially inward and made with the possibility of contacting with at least one corresponding holding element 5 extending radially outward and located on the neck of the container 1, for holding the tubular element 101 in the axial direction along longitudinal direction X-X to prevent it from separating, in particular before the first opening of the closure. This at least one radially inwardly extending retaining element 110 may comprise a plurality of radially inwardly projecting members or may comprise one continuous inwardly projecting edge. Likewise, the corresponding at least one radially outwardly extending at least one retaining element may comprise a series of radially outwardly projecting members or may comprise one continuous outwardly projecting edge.

The longitudinal retention members 5, 110 are designed to keep the tubular member 101 permanently mounted on the neck 2 of the container 1 while it is initially closed prior to the first opening, as well as to hold the liner-like portion 103 in position after the initial opening.

According to the invention, the sleeve-like portion 103 includes a recess or recess 115. The recess 115 is located in the sleeve-like portion 103 between the lower edge 113 and the longitudinal holding members 110. As shown in FIG. 1 and 2, the recess 115 is preferably blind, formed on the inner surface of the tubular wall and therefore invisible from the outside.

Due to the design of the recess 115, the lower tubular portion 103 is designed to deform, preferably outwardly, in the event of an attempt to separate the tubular element 101 from the neck 2 of the container 1 on which the closure 100 is fitted.

FIG. 3, the deformation is indicated by reference numeral 115a and is intended to be irreversible / permanent, or at least provide a clear indication of an attempted separation and therefore deterrence from further attempts on other containers for liquids, e.g. containers located on the same shelf. ...

As shown in FIG. 3, an attempt to separate the tubular element 101 from the bottle neck 2 usually occurs by applying force to the lower edge 113 of the sleeve-like portion 103. This force will have at least an axial component directed towards the cap-like portion 102.

During the detachment attempt, the respective retaining elements 5, 110 react to this upward force by means of a corresponding downward reaction force towards the lower end 101a, due to the fact that the respective retaining elements 5, 110 abut / abut each other ... Thus, the recess 115 located between the lower edge 113 and the retaining members 110 is subjected to a compressive stress that causes it to deform as shown by reference numeral 115a. In this example, the deformation is the bending of the material of the thinner wall outwardly in the region of the recess 115. This visible deformation may be irreversible / permanent and / or may be accompanied by a visible change in the material, such as a color change.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1 and 2, the recess 115 is formed as an annular groove that extends around the entire circumference of the tubular element 101 and therefore forms an annular weakened portion 115. It should be understood that the recess may instead be a series of smaller recesses spaced apart from each other around the entire circumference.

To provide effective weakening of the tubular member 101, the weakened groove 115 has a wall thickness S2 that is less than the wall thickness S1, and the ratio of S2 to S1 is preferably less than 0.5 or 0.2 to 0.8. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, 2 and 3, the weakened groove 115 extends 5 mm in the axial direction.

FIG. 4, a security closure 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown isolated from the neck of the container onto which it is to be fitted, while in FIG. 5, the same security closure 200 is shown assembled at the neck 244 of the bottle 245.

Elements in common with the first embodiment, if any, are denoted by the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1, 2 and 3, but increased by 100.

In this second embodiment, the closure 200 substantially comprises a tubular member 201, a closure member 220, and a valve member 224. The valve member 224 comprises a connecting member 241 that is rigidly fixed within the mouth 243 of the neck 244 of the bottle 245 by a downwardly extending annular skirt 242 The connecting member 241 also includes an upwardly extending annular member 240 on which the pouring member 219 is axially secured. The annular member 242 forms a valve seat 246 on which a valve body 247 is supported, which is movable axially within the cavity 248 of the pouring member 219 to open and close an opening 249 formed in the annular member 242. At the upper end of the pouring member 219 a pouring hole 218 is formed.

The tubular member 201 includes a cap-like portion 202 and a sleeve-like portion 203, which are initially joined by a frangible portion 207. The cap-like member 202 includes a top wall 208.

The closure 220 is integrally formed with the upper wall 208 and extends longitudinally from the upper wall 208 into the opening 218 of the spout 219. The closure 220, together with a cap-like portion 202 of tubular member 201, forms a removable cap 221.

A stem 227 extending axially downwardly from the wall 208 of the cap-like portion 202 of tubular member 201 as it rests on the valve body 247, which is when the cap 221 is in the closed position, urges the valve body 247 against the seat 246 valve, whereby the passage of liquid through the valve member 224 is prevented.

A cap-like portion 202 of tubular member 201 is provided with at least one annular projection 228 on its outer surface intended to engage with at least one corresponding annular groove 229 of the skirt 230, whereby contacting annular / circumferential elements are formed for connecting the cap-like portion 202 and the skirt 230 together in the axial direction. The skirt 230 is also radially connected to the upper tubular portion 203 through a plurality of axial recesses 231.

Upon opening the closure for the first time, the torque acting on the cap 221 causes the cap-like portion 202 to rotate relative to the valve member 224 through the cooperating threads 206, 211, while the sleeve-like portion 203 remains locked against rotation, causing fracture fragile part 207.

From this point forward, the removable cap 221 is used to selectively further open and close the container outlet 243.

According to the invention, the second embodiment is also provided with means for preventing an attempt to separate the closure 200 from the container 245 on which it is fitted.

For this, the sleeve-like portion 203 of the tubular member 201 is formed with grooves 232 extending axially parallel to the axis X-X of the closure and open at the lower edge 213.

These slots 232 can be evenly spaced around the circumference of the lower tubular portion 203, or alternatively they can be grouped into a plurality of slots, as shown, for example, in FIG. 4.

If an attempt is made to detach the closure from the neck 244 of the bottle 245, said slots 232 will provide visible evidence of such an attempt by deforming the wall of the sleeve-like portion 203 similar to the deformation described with reference to the first embodiment of FIG. 1, 2 and 3.

To provide effective weakening of the tubular member 201, the weakened portion 232 has a wall thickness S200 that is less than the wall thickness S201, and the ratio of S200 to S201 is preferably less than 0.5, or 0.2 to 0.8.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 and 5, the weakened portion 232 extends 2 mm in the axial direction.

FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment of the invention, wherein elements in common with the second embodiment, if any, are denoted by the same reference numerals as in FIG. 4 and 5, increased by 100.

Elements in common with the first embodiment, if any, are denoted by the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1, 2 and 3 increased by 200.

In this third embodiment, the tubular member 301 comprises a sleeve-like portion 303 provided with an annular recess 315 that extends around the entire circumference of the tubular member 301 whereby an annular weakened portion 315 is formed.

In other words, the recess 315 forms a weakened deformable portion extending in the tubular wall of the closure 300.

In order to effectively weaken the tubular member 301, the weakened portion 315 has a wall thickness S300 that is less than the wall thickness S301, and the ratio of S300 to S301 is preferably less than 0.5, or 0.2 to 0.8.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the weakened portion 315 extends 5 mm in the axial direction.

A fourth embodiment according to the invention will now be described with reference to FIG. 7.

Elements in common with the first embodiment, if any, are indicated in FIG. 7 with the same reference characters as in FIG. 1, 2 and 3 increased by 300.

In this fourth embodiment, the tubular member 401 comprises a lower tubular portion 403 provided with an annular recess 415 that extends along the entire length

4,036,800 of the tubular member 401 in the circumferential direction, whereby an annular weakened portion 415 is formed.

In other words, the recess 415 defines a weakened deformable portion extending in the tubular wall of the closure 400.

To effectively weaken the tubular member 401, the weakened portion 415 has a wall thickness S400 that is less than the wall thickness S401, and the ratio of S400 to S401 is preferably less than 0.5 or 0.2 to 0.8.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the weakened portion 415 extends 5 mm in the axial direction.

In addition, in this fourth embodiment, the closure 423 is part of the cap 421 of the closure 400. The cap 421 can be removably slid over the neck 442 of the liquid container 441 to open and close the pouring hole 443. The cap further comprises a tubular sleeve 422 coaxial with sleeve 420, both of which extend longitudinally away from plug 423.

The tubular sleeve 422 has an internal thread 411 adapted to be coupled with an external thread 406 formed on the outer surface of the sleeve 405 secured around the neck 442 to allow the container 441 to open and close.

As with the rest of the embodiments of the present invention, the frangible portion 407 connects the cap-like portion 402 to the sleeve-like portion 403.

A sleeve-like portion 403 of tubular member 401 is provided with at least one retaining member 410 extending radially inwardly and capable of engaging at least one corresponding radially outwardly extending retaining member 405 formed by a ring connected with a bottle neck 442, for holding the tubular member 401 along the longitudinal direction XX, and in particular for holding the sleeve-like part 403 axially relative to the container 441 to prevent it from being removed, in particular before opening for the first time.

The longitudinal retention members 410 are designed to keep the tubular member 401 permanently mounted on the neck 442 of the container 441 while it is initially closed prior to the first opening, as well as to hold the sleeve-like portion 403 in position after the initial opening has occurred.

It is therefore evident that all embodiments of the security closure according to the present invention achieve the aforementioned objectives due to the presence of a reduced thickness portion at the lower end portion of the outer tubular member longitudinally held in relation to the container.

A person skilled in the art will obviously be able to modify the described embodiments in a variety of ways to meet specific requirements.

For example, it is clear that, except in the case of obvious technical incompatibility, any element / feature described in connection with one embodiment can be directly applied to another embodiment with appropriate adjustment, and in particular, many combinations of features / elements are possible. associated with the plug and recess. Likewise, discontinuities of the elements that form the closure may be provided, obviously provided that they do not change the functionality of the elements involved.

Likewise, parts described as annular or cylindrical may be slightly tapered due to technological requirements.

However, all modifications are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims (14)

CLAIM 1. A closure with an opening indication, intended for a container for liquids having a neck (2, 244, 344, 442) with an inlet defining a pouring hole (3, 243, 343, 443), while said closure with an opening indication runs in the axial direction (X-X) and contains a tubular element (101, 201, 301, 401) containing an upper part (102, 202, 302, 402) and a lower part (103, 203, 303, 403) with a lower edge (113, 213, 313, 413) surrounding the open lower end (101a); and a closure element (123, 208, 308, 423) connected to said tubular element and configured to selectively close and open the pouring hole of the container for liquids, while the lower part (103, 203, 303, 403) of said tubular element contains means (110, 210, 310, 410) for holding in the axial direction, configured to contact - 5,036800 interaction with appropriate means (5, 205, 305, 505) of the container intended for holding in the axial direction, for holding the said lower part of the tubular element relative to the container in the axial direction (X-X) and thus preventing its separation from it, characterized in that said lower part (103, 203, 303, 403) of said tubular element (101, 201, 301, 401) contains at least one recess (115, 215, 315, 415) located between said the lower edge (113, 213, 313, 413) and the indicated means (110, 210, 310, 410) for holding in the axial direction, while the recess includes at least a portion with a reduced thickness (S2, S200, S300, S400 ) of the wall, whereby an axial force exceeding a predetermined value and applied to the specified lower edge (113, 213, 313, 413) towards the upper part (102, 202, 302, 402) of the specified tubular element (101, 201, 301, 401 ), will result in visible th deformation of the lower part (103, 203, 303, 403) in the zone of the depression (115, 215, 315, 415). 2. A tamper evident closure according to claim 1, wherein the upper part (102) and the lower part (103) of said tubular element are connected by a fragile part (107, 207, 307, 407), which is designed to break when the first opening the closure. 3. A tamper evident closure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said recess comprises an annular recess (115, 315, 415) that extends along the entire length of the lower part (103) of said tubular element in a circumferential direction. 4. A tamper evident closure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said at least one recess comprises a plurality of axially extending grooves (232, 315) spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction on the inner surface of the bottom the specified tubular element (201, 301). 5. A tamper evident closure according to claim 4, wherein said grooves (232) are arranged in groups, each group comprising at least two axial grooves adjacent to each other, said groups of grooves being distributed circumferentially. 6. A tamper evident closure according to claim 4 or 5, wherein said slots (232) are axially open at a lower edge (213) of said lower portion (203) of tubular member (201). 7. A tamper evident closure according to claim 4 or 5, wherein said slots (315) are axially closed at a lower edge (313) of said lower part (303) of tubular member (301). 8. A tamper evident closure according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said lower part of said tubular member comprises a tubular wall having a wall thickness (S1, S201, S301, S401), and said recess is provided with a weakened portion that extends in said tubular wall, said weakened portion having a wall thickness (S2, S200, S300, S400) that is less than a wall thickness (S1, S201, S301, S401). 9. The tamper evident closure of claim 8, wherein said weakened portion is configured to deform outwardly under the action of said axial force applied to said bottom edge. 10. The tamper evident closure according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the ratio between the wall thickness (S2, S200, S300, S400) of the wall of the weakened portion and the corresponding thickness (S1, S201, S301, S401) of the tubular wall is less than 0.8 and preferably 0.2 to 0.8. 11. A tamper evident closure according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein said weakened portion extends axially over a length of 2 to 30 mm. 12. A tamper evident closure according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein said weakened portion extends to said lower edge. 13. A tamper evident closure according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein said lower portion of said tubular member is formed with a wall thickness greater than the wall thickness at the lower edge. 14. A tamper evident closure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said lower edge is formed with a surface forming an angle of 60 ° to 120 ° with respect to the longitudinal axis (X-X).