EP0098810B1 - Tamperproof closure cap for bottles - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a closure cap, in particular a guarantee closure cap for bottles or bottle-like containers with a retracted bottle neck with a bulge provided with a stopper or with a rubber stopper, which consists of a cap base and a jacket wall connected to the cap bottom, the jacket wall being one Has bead or a flange, which is intended to engage behind the bead edge of the neck and wherein the cap base has a break-out part, which is delimited by a weakening line forming a predetermined breaking point.

A cap of this type is e.g. B. known from DE-B-2361 350. Sealing caps of this type are used in particular in the pharmaceutical field and serve mainly to seal bottle-like containers. Such closures have to meet a number of requirements, in particular with regard to their effectiveness as tamper protection, their easy application to the bottle-like containers, an easy re-opening thereof and last but not least with regard to their rational production.

However, this requirement can only be met to a very limited extent by the so-called crimp closures made of aluminum, which are generally provided with a tear-open tab. The closure caps are not always torn open, since the holding surface of the tear-open tab is relatively small and insufficient tear force can be applied or the material tears in at an unwanted point without being completely severable. It is easy to see that there is a high risk of injury on the sharp tear edges. Furthermore, tamper protection is jeopardized where large-mesh perforations make it easier to tear open the metal flaps, but this gives the possibility of using an injection needle to get through the perforation to the contents of the container.

From DE-B 2361 350 a closure cap has become known which has a cap base made of plastic with a pull-out area which is surrounded by a line of weakness. A second plastic part with a handle is used to pull out the pull-out area. In addition to the rubber sealing plug, the actual cap includes two plastic parts and a metallic, ring-shaped element that is flanged over the bead of the bottle neck.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a closure cap, in particular a guarantee closure cap of the aforementioned type, which has as few parts as possible and in which the part of the cap base which can be broken out can be easily broken out by pressure instead of by pulling. Furthermore, the cap should meet the requirements to be placed on a mass product, have a wide range of applications and, last but not least, meet certain hygienic and aesthetic requirements.

This is achieved according to the invention in that the material weakening line is adjoined by a peripheral wall which projects outwards against the cap base inside or outside the area delimited by the material weakening line and adjoins the material weakening line and which, when pressure is applied to its end face, causes a relative displacement of the break-out part to the rest Part of the cap results in, and thus causes a break along the predetermined breaking point.

These measures enable a locking principle to be implemented that can meet all of the above requirements. In particular, the design according to the invention, with sufficient rigidity of the cap, allows the cap to be easily broken open, regardless of the material used, for example by light pressure on the ampoule placed on a hard surface with the peripheral wall, the relative displacement between the part of the cap base to be broken out and the rest Part of the cap takes place and there is a complete break along the predetermined breaking point. Compared to the previously known fasteners with a pull tab, opening the fastener here is simple, complete and secure. In addition, the closure cap can surround the bottle neck without perforation, that is to say completely closed, the visible peripheral wall also having a characteristic shape which has a particular aesthetic effect.

• Figur 1 in schaubildartiger Darstellung eine Glas-Ampulle mit einer erfindungsgemässen Garantie-Verschlusskappe ;
• Figur 2 in schaubildartiger Darstellung die Glas-Ampulle gemäss Fig. vor dem Aufsetzen einer Verschlusskappe ;
• Figur 3 in schematischer Schnittdarstellung die auf den Hals der Glas-Ampulle gemäss den Fig. 1 und 2 aufgesetzte Verschlusskappe gemäss Fig. 1 ;
• Figur 4 eine Ausführungsvariante der Anordnung gemäss Fig. 3 ; und
• Figur 5 in schaubildartiger Darstellung das Aufbrechen der Garantie-Verschlusskappe der Anordnung gemäss Fig. 1.
• Figur 6 in schematischer Schnittdarstellung eine auf den Hals einer Glas-Ampulle aufgesetzte Verschlusskappe mit Bördelung
• Figur 7 eine Ausführungsvariante der Anordnung gemäss Fig. 6 : und
• Figur 8 in grösserer Darstellung eine weitere Ausführungsform einer Verschlusskappe.
• Figur 9 zeigt eine Verschlusskappe bei der der Pfropfen integraler Bestandteil des herausbrechbaren Teiles ist, und
• Figur 10 zeigt eine Verschlusskappe mit verschiedenen Varianten von Federelementen, mit denen Höhentoleranzen in den Abmessungen des Flaschenhalses und des Pfropfens überwunden werden können.
• Figur 10a illustriert eine zusätzliche Möglichkeit eines Federelementes und
• Figur 10b zeigt ein Detail eines Federelementes in der Herstellungslage.

For example, embodiments of the subject matter of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. Show it :

• 1 shows a glass ampoule with a guarantee cap according to the invention in a diagram-like representation;
• FIG. 2 shows the glass ampoule according to FIG. 1 in a diagram-like representation before the closure cap is put on;
• 3 shows a schematic sectional illustration of the closure cap according to FIG. 1 placed on the neck of the glass ampoule according to FIGS. 1 and 2;
• FIG. 4 shows an embodiment variant of the arrangement according to FIG. 3; and
• FIG. 5 shows in a diagram-like representation the breaking of the guarantee sealing cap of the arrangement according to FIG. 1.
• Figure 6 is a schematic sectional view of a closure cap with a flange placed on the neck of a glass ampoule
• FIG. 7 shows an embodiment variant of the arrangement according to FIG. 6: and
• Figure 8 shows a larger embodiment of a closure cap.
• FIG. 9 shows a closure cap in which the plug is an integral part of the break-out part, and
• FIG. 10 shows a closure cap with different variants of spring elements, with which height tolerances in the dimensions of the bottle neck and the plug can be overcome.
• Figure 10a illustrates an additional possibility of a spring element and
• Figure 10b shows a detail of a spring element in the manufacturing position.

1 and 2, according to an example of an application, a glass ampoule 1, which is intended, for example, for diagnostics, is grafted with a rubber stopper 2 and provided with a guarantee cap 3 according to the invention. Here, the glass ampoule 1 has a retracted bottle neck 4, the closure cap 3 engaging behind the bead 5 of the neck 4 in the attached state, as will be described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 4.

The closure cap 3 expediently consists of a suitable plastic or of an aluminum alloy.

According to the invention, the closure cap 3 illustrated in FIG. 3 in an enlarged sectional view has a cap base 6 which can be broken out as a whole, this cap base 6 being connected to the jacket wall 7 of the closure cap 3 by an area of material weakening in the form of a material notch 8. In order to be able to break out the cap base 6 along the material weakening 8 forming a predetermined breaking point without further aids, the end face 9 of the breakable cap base 6 is set back against the end face 10 of the casing wall 7 for a relative displacement that can be generated under pressure and cause the break along the predetermined breaking point 8.

Here, the cap base 6 lies in the pressed-on state of the closure cap 3 on the end face of the rubber stopper 2 completely or with an annular shoulder 11. The closure cap 3 encloses with its jacket wall 7, which is identical here to the peripheral wall of the break-out part, the bead 5 of the glass ampoule 1 and the side flange of the rubber stopper 2 and engages under the bead 5 with a ring bead 13 formed on the inside of the jacket wall 7 Bottle neck 4. Correspondingly, the closure cap 3 forms a snap cap which can be pressed onto the ampoule 1 and, as can be seen in FIG. 3, completely and tightly encloses the bottle neck with the beaded edge 5 and the stopper 2.

In order to generate the relative displacement between the cap base 6 and the jacket wall 7 which is necessary for the cap base 6 to break out, it is only necessary to exert a pressure on the raised end face 10 of the jacket wall 7 so that it moves downward into the region of the drawn-in part of the bottle neck 4 is displaced (as indicated by the dash-dotted lines in FIG. 3), the cap base 6 remaining in its abutment on the stopper 2. As a result, the cap base 6 is inevitably broken out along the predetermined breaking point 8. Since the plug 2 compresses slightly during this process, the plug also springs back after the breakout, which pushes the broken-out cap base 6 out of the region of the jacket wall 7, with which the plug 2 becomes freely accessible.

A simple, low-power and safe method for generating the pressure on the end face 10 of the jacket wall 7 is to press the ampoule 1 with its guarantee cap 3 down against a table top or the like, as illustrated in FIG. 5 . The cap base 6 can then be audibly broken out with a short pressure or with a powerful all-round movement from the wrist.

In particular for ampoules with multiple uses, it is expedient to provide a plastic dust cap 17 which can be attached to the closure cap 3 with an adhesive fit and can be removed, as can be clearly seen in FIGS.

This dust cap 17 can also serve as an information carrier and additionally have a signal effect due to individual coloring, as has already been explained at the beginning.

While the above-described closure cap allows the corked or grafted mouth of the ampoule 1 to be completely released by breaking out the entire cap base 6, the arrangement according to FIG. 4 is able to hold the stopper 2 in the ampoule mouth even after the guarantee closure has been broken open. For this purpose, only an inner part 6 'of the cap base 6 is surrounded by a predetermined breaking point 8, this inner part having an inner peripheral wall 14 which projects beyond the outer end face 9 of the cap base 6 and an inner surface 15 which is in relation to the inner annular surface 16 of the cap base 6 is reset. It can be seen that here too, by pressing the outer end face region of the inner peripheral wall 14 in the manner described above, there is a relative displacement between the break-out part 6 'and the other parts of the closure cap 3, in that the break-out part 6' itself in the direction of Plug 2 is pressed and thus broken out, whereas here the jacket wall 57 remains in its position surrounding the bottle neck. Here too, the spring effect of the rubber stopper 2 forces the broken-out part 6 ′ out of the area of the remaining cap base 6.

Of course, a number of modifications are possible within the framework of the above-described inventive concept. In particular, for example for very short-necked containers, it may be necessary to provide a lateral recess 18 in the outer circumferential wall of the closure cap 3 (FIG. 1) in order to press or lift the plug covered by the closure cap after the cap base has been broken open.

In the closure caps described above, they are designed as snap-on caps that can be pressed onto the bottle neck, the inside of the closure cap carrying an annular bead 13, which is provided on the inside of its outer peripheral wall 7 or its jacket wall 57 for gripping under the bead edge of the bottle neck. When such a cap is pressed on, the outer circumferential wall or jacket wall in the area of the ring bead expands until the ring bead can reach under the bead of the bottle, whereupon the cap moves immovably and the bottle opening sits securely on the bottle neck.

However, this presupposes relatively narrow tolerances in the height of the bead of the glass ampoule, in the height of the rubber stopper and in the inner height of the sealing cap. However, these tolerances cannot always be met. This creates the risk that, in extreme cases, the cap cannot even be pressed onto the bottle neck or that the rubber stopper is pressed together in such a way that piercing the rubber stopper with an injection needle becomes a problem.

In FIG. 6, the cap base 6 lies completely or with an annular shoulder 11 on the end face of the rubber stopper 2 when the closure cap 3 is pressed on. The cap 3 encloses with its jacket wall 7 the bead 5 of the glass ampoule 1, as well as the end flange of the rubber stopper 2, and engages under the bead 5 of the bottle neck 4 with an annular flange 13 ′ formed on the inside of the jacket wall 7, as indicated by the dashed line is.

Here, this ring flange 13 'is formed during the closure process and under a preferably adjustable contact pressure of the closure cap 3 on the end face of the rubber plug 2 from a protruding edge section 13 of the jacket wall 7.

This molding takes place in a sealing cap 3 made of plastic by heat-flanging.

This ensures that the pressurization of the rubber stopper 2 through the cap base 6 is always the same, even if there are relatively large tolerances in the height of the rubber stopper 2 and the bead 5 of the glass ampoule 1. _" Only the amount of material available for the flanging of the ring flange 13 'of the edge section 13 of the jacket wall 7 then varies, but this is completely meaningless.

The arrangement according to FIG. 7 can also be designed in the same way, in which only part of the cap base 6 can be broken out, so that the stopper 2 is held in the ampoule mouth even after the guarantee closure has been broken open.

In this arrangement, only an inner part 6 'of the cap base 6 is surrounded by a predetermined breaking point 8, this inner part having an inner peripheral wall 14 which projects beyond the end face 9 of the cap base 6 and an inner surface 15 which is in relation to the inner annular shoulder 16 of the Cap base 6 is reset. It can be seen that a pressure on the inner peripheral wall 14 in the manner described above also results in a relative displacement between the break-out part 6 'and the other parts of the closure cap 3 by the break-out part 6' itself being pressed in the direction of the plug 2 and thus is broken out, whereas the jacket wall 57 remains in its position surrounding the bottle neck. Correspondingly, the closure cap 3 also engages under the bead 5 of the bottle neck 4 with an annular flange 13 ′ formed on the inside of the jacket wall 57, as is indicated by the dashed line.

In this embodiment, too, the ring flange 13 ′ is formed from a protruding edge section 13 of the jacket wall 57 during the closing process and under a preferably adjustable contact pressure of the closing cap 3 on the end face of the rubber stopper.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 8, the closure cap 3, which is shown here without a dust cap 17, no longer consists of a one-piece plastic part, but of a cap base 56 made of plastic and of a jacket wall 57 partially overlapping the cap bottom 56 made of aluminum sheet, which with a bead 63 'engages behind the bead 5 of the bottle neck 4.

Similar to the embodiment according to FIG. 7, an inner part 56 'of the cap base 56 is also surrounded here by a predetermined breaking point 58, this inner part having an inner peripheral wall 64 which projects beyond the outer end face 59 of the cap base 56. The inner surface 65 is recessed with respect to the inner annular shoulder 66 of the cap bottom 56. It can thus be seen that a pressure on the outer end face area of the inner circumferential wall 64 in the manner described above also results in a relative displacement between the break-out part 56 'and the other parts of the closure cap 3, by the break-out part 56' itself in the direction of the stopper 2 is pressed and thus broken out, whereas the jacket wall 57 remains in its position surrounding the bottle neck. As can be seen from the illustration in FIG. 8, the inner edge of the overlapping part 57 'of the jacket wall 57 projects close to the circumference of the inner part 56 'of the cap bottom 56.

In this embodiment with a jacket wall 57 made of an aluminum sheet or the like, it is now possible to apply the known flanging technique to closures, with the annular flange 63 'also here under a predetermined contact pressure of the closure cap 3 against the end face of the rubber stopper 2 from a protruding, edge section 63 of the jacket wall 57, indicated by dashed lines, is formed by flanging molding.

The advantage of providing the closure with a flanged ring flange 13 'is essentially that large differences in height of the bead 5 of the bottle neck 4, as well as of the stopper 2, can thereby be overcome and a precisely defined closure force can be achieved.

Various solutions of this partial aspect are shown together in FIG. 10, but each individual solution alone solves the problem of the height differences that occur.

The total dimension T of the height of the plug 2 protruding above the bottle and of the bead 5 usually varies only to a small extent, so that these tolerances can be eliminated by simple spring elements 20. This can be done, for example, by means of a radially running, annular spring section 21 in the casing wall 57. A wide variety of geometric design forms can be considered as the spring section 21. FIG. 10 shows a curved shape of the spring section 21, which allows movement in the axial direction in order to accommodate differences that occur.

If the differences that occur are relatively large, the spring path can also be shaped in the form of an annular bellows 21 ', as shown in detail in FIG. 10a.

An alternative to the spring section 21 consists in an edge section 22 as an extension of the jacket wall 57. In the sprayed position, the edge section 22 is conically inclined towards the center and tapers towards the edge (FIG. 10b).

When the cap 3 is put on, the edge section is turned inside and up and thus forms a resilient lip 22 '.

To compensate for smaller differences in height, finger-shaped spring elements 23 can also be formed on the inner, annular surface 16 of the cap base 6, which can accommodate corresponding tolerances in the axial direction if the cap is one with an annular bead, as shown for example in the figure , which rests with a snap effect under the bead 5 of the bottle neck.

Instead of the finger-shaped spring elements 23, the spring element 20 can also be replaced by concentric, annular lips 24 which run around the break-out part of the cap base.

The inclination of the sharp-edged lips 24 towards the jacket wall 57 also leads to a tightening of the elastic stopper 2, as a result of which the injection needle can pierce it more easily.

FIG. 10 also shows a solution for an additional secondary problem.

In the case of caps with a small diameter of the part to be broken out, the removal of the same can be a bit of an effort.

However, if a central elevation 25 is present on the inner surface 15 of the break-out part of the cap base 6, the elastic stopper 2 presses the same out of the rest when the part is pressed out.

An essential solution is shown in FIG. 9. Vials that are used to hold powder or pill-shaped contents can be provided with a closure cap 3, in which the part of the cap base 6 that can be broken out is designed as a stopper 2 '. The plug 2 'has a cavity 26 which is closed by an insert 27. The cavity 26 serves to hold a hygroscopic agent and communicates with the interior of the bottle via through holes 28. The insert 27, like the dust cap 17, can also have different colors and thus represent a certain coding.

Although the closure cap is designed as a plastic closure, it can also be made from other materials, such as aux aluminum, without significant design changes.

Claims (19)

1. A closure cap, particularly a safety closure cap, for bottles or bottle-like containers (1) with a constricted neck (4) having a stopper or a rubber plug (2) and having a beaded edge (5), the closure cap comprising a base (6, 56) and an annular wall (7, 57) joined to the base (6, 56), wherein the annular wall (7, 57) comprises a beading or a flanged portion for engaging behind the beaded edge of the neck, and the cap base (6, 56) comprises a breakable portion (6, 15, 56') bounded by a line of weakened material (8, 58) forming a predetermined breaking point, characterized in that the line of weakened material (8, 58) has an adjacent peripheral wall (10, 14, 64) projecting outwards from the cap base (6, 56) and running inside or outside the area bounded by the line of weakened material (8, 58) and adjacent the line of weakened material (8, 58), such that when pressure is applied to the end face of the peripheral wall a relative displacement of the breakable portion (6,15, 56') occurs relative to the remaining part of the cap and thus produces a fracture along the predetermined breaking point.

2. A closure cap according to Claim 1, characterized in that the cap consists of plastics material and the beaded edge (13) is formed such that the closure cap may be pressed onto the neck of the bottle.

3. A closure cap according to Claim 1, characterized in that the annular wall comprises a lower edge portion (13) for engaging under the beaded edge of the neck of the bottle and which may be flanged.

4. A closure cap according to Claim 3, characterized in that the cap consists of plastics material and the edge portion (13) is deformable by heat flanging into an annular flange (13') engageable below the beaded edge under contact pressure of the closure cap (3) onto the end face of the rubber plug (2).

5. A closure cap according to Claim 3, characterized in that the cap base (56) consists of plastics material and is surrounded by an annular wall (57) of an aluminium sheet partly overlapping the cap base (56), the lower edge portion (63) thereof being deformable into an annular flange (63') by mechanical flanging and engageable below the beaded edge under contact pressure of the closure cap (3) onto the end face of the rubber plug (2).

6. A closure cap according to Claim 5, characterized in that the breakable portion (56') of the cap base (56) comprises an inner peripheral wall (64), that the lower surface (65) of the breakable portion is set back relative to the underside of an annular shoulder (66) of the cap base (56), and that the inwardly extending overlapping portions (57') of the annular wall (57) extend close to the periphery of the breakable portion (56') of the cap base (56).

7. A closure cap according to Claim 1, characterized in that the predetermined breaking point is in the form of a recess (8) formed in the material.

8. A closure cap according to Claim 1, characterized in that the outer peripheral wall extends into the annular wall (7), such that the cap base (6) may be broken as a whole.

9. A closure cap according to Claim 1, characterized in that the breakable portion (6') of the cap base (6) comprises an inner peripheral wall (14), and the breakable portion (6') has a lower surface (15) which is set back relative to a lower, annular shoulder (16) of the cap base (6).

10. A closure cap according to Claim 1, characterized by a removable dust cap (17) mounted in a tight fit and consisting of plastics material.

11. A closure cap according to Claim 8, characterized by at least one lateral recess (18) in the annular wall (7).

12. A closure cap according to Claim 3, characterized in that the cap consists entirely of aluminium and may be mounted on the neck of the bottle in a positively locking manner.

13. A closure cap according to Claim 2, characterized in that an annularly extending spring path (20) is provided in the annular wall, the spring path effecting a spring action in the axial direction.

14. A closure cap according to Claim 2, characterized -in that the annular wall comprises a lower edge portion (22) formed as a spring element and extending in a tapering maner towards the centre.

15. A closure cap according to Claim 9, characterized in that axially acting spring elements (23) are arranged on the inner, annular shoulder (16) of the cap base (6).

16. A closure cap according to Claim 9, characterized in that on the inner, annular shoulder (16) of the cap base (6) spring elements (24) extend concentrically about the breakable portion of the cap base (6) and are inclined towards the cylindrical wall (57).

17. A closure cap according to Claim 1, characterized in that a central raised portion (25) is provided on the underside (15) of the breakable portion (6) of the cap base (6).

18. A closure cap according to Claim 8, characterized in that the cap base (6) to be broken as a whole is part of a stopper (2') being an integral part of the cap (3).

19. A closure cap according to Claim 18, characterized in that the stopper (2') has a cavity (26) for receiving a hygroscopic medium, the cavity being closed by an insert (27).

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