GB2285623A

GB2285623A - Tamper evident closure assembly for liquid container

Info

Publication number: GB2285623A
Application number: GB9500758A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Robert Blair; Paul Michael Christmas
Original assignee: Daniel Montgomery and Son Ltd
Current assignee: Daniel Montgomery and Son Ltd
Priority date: 1994-01-15
Filing date: 1995-01-16
Publication date: 1995-07-19
Anticipated expiration: 2015-01-16
Also published as: GB2285623B; GB9500758D0

Abstract

A closure assembly for use with a mouth of a container, for example a spirits bottle, comprises a pouring outlet device 16, which may incorporate a one way valve 2, a skirt member 24 permanently engaging the container neck exterior, a closure cap 22, and a surrounding hood 30 incorporating a tear strip and having an inner flange 36 engaging in a permanent manner with the skirt member 24. The tear strip in the hood may be formed by a part helical line of weakness extending between upper and lower lines of weakness 50 and 52. After the tear strip is removed an annular portion of the hood remains in place as a tamper evident device, due to a flange 36 permanently engaging under a shoulder 38 on the skirt member. The flange is initially downwardly projecting on release of the hood from its mould (figure 7), the flange being caused to inturn on application of the hood onto the closure cap and skirt member. The inturning action is assisted by discontinuities 56 on its free lower edge or by moulding the flange in separate arcuate portions. <IMAGE>

Description

CLOSURE ASSEMBLY FOR LIOUID CONTAINER The invention relates to a closure assembly adapted to be applied to the mouth of a container for liquid, for example, the neck of a bottle.

For various reasons, it may be desirable to ensure that a used container, such as a bottle intended to contain spirits, is not re-filled with a replacement quantity of liquid, the characteristics and quality of which may differ from the original contents. Attempts to provide closures which make such re-filling difficult are not always proof against determined tampering or pilfering, and it is therefore advantageous to provide a tamper-indicating means which provides evidence that the bottle and its original contents are intact. However, if the bottle is resealed with a substitute cap or closure, there may be little to indicate to the purchaser that the bottle has been tampered with and that the contents may be inferior to the original contents.

While it is very important that an original closure cannot be removed without visible damage or breakage being caused either to the closure or to the bottle, it has been found that a closure that cannot readily be removed will become the target of attempts to re-fill the container by overcoming any features provided in the closure intended to hinder or prevent this. Therefore in addition to providing devices to prevent re-filling of bottles, it has been found preferable to provide such devices with further tamper-indicating features which, while not acting in any preventative role, give a clear indication that a bottle has been opened since being originally filled with the genuine contents.

The invention therefore provides a closure assembly to be applied to the mouth of a neck of a container for liquid, comprising a pouring outlet device adapted to surround said mouth and a cap adapted to close the outlet device, said outlet device comprising a tubular skirt member adapted to engage an exterior surface of the container neck so as to surround said neck, there being further provided a hood means surrounding and enclosing the closure cap and the skirt member and having an annular portion adapted to engage in a permanent manner with a lower end portion of the skirt member, said hood means incorporating a tear strip, wherein the annular portion is adapted to remain in engagement with the lower portion of the skirt member after the container is opened so as to provide a tamper evident ring remaining after the tear strip is removed.

Preferably, the tear strip may be of non-uniform depth with respect to the skirt member, a line of weakness being provided in the hood means extending in an at least part-helical path from the vicinity of said tamper-evident ring to an upper portion of the hood means.

Conveniently, said upper portion of the hood means may comprise an end wall adapted to engage the closure cap of the container prior to opening the container for the first time after filling.

The hood means may also be provided with a second line of weakness adjacent a lower edge of said tear strip, permitting release of the hood means from the tamper evident ring. Conveniently the ring may be maintained in position after the container is opened by means of inturned flange means adapted to be received in permanent engagement with a lower edge portion of the skirt member. Said flange means may comprise an at least substantially annular flange or arcuate flange portions.

There will now be described an example of a closure assembly according to the invention. It will be understood that the description is given by way of example only and not by way of limitation.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of the assembly partly in cross-section; Figure 2 is a diagram showing a surface development of a hood means forming part of the closure assembly; Figures 3 to 6 illustrate steps in the removal of a tear-strip of the closure assembly; and Figure 7 is a sectional view through the hood means of the closure assembly.

Figure 1 shows a closure assembly which for the sake of example is shown in association with a one-way valve assembly 2 inserted within a neck portion 4 of a container. The valve assembly comprises a tubular sleeve 6 having a first flange portion 8, and a second flange portion 10, together with a ball weight 12 and a valve member 14.

The sleeve 6 which is to be inserted in the neck 4 of the bottle is provided at a first outlet end thereof with its first, radial, flange portion 8 extending in use outwardly over the lip of the bottle. The second flange portion 10 is upstanding from the sleeve 6. A third flange 18 is provided which extends inwardly at the second end of the sleeve and provides a valve seat for the valve member 14.

A ball weight 12, when the bottle is in a generally upright position, i.e. suitable for re-filling, urges the valve member 14 into contact with the third flange 18. The valve member 14 is provided with fins 20 which assist in centring the member 14 against the seating surface of the sleeve member 6.

The pouring outlet 16, which is closed by means of a closure cap 22, is provided with an annular portion 23 which is secured to a tubular skirt member 24. The member 24 is provided with a series of inwardly projecting flange means 26 arranged to extend obliquely therefrom. These flange means (only one shown) are arranged to engage with a shoulder 28 on the bottle neck 4 to maintain the valve means, skirt member and pouring outlet firmly in place. Surrounding the skirt member 24 is hood means indicated at 30, which enclose entirely both the member 24 and the cap 22. The means 30 comprises a main body portion 32 provided with a lower annular portion 34 having an inturned flange portion 36 adapted to engage permanently with a shoulder 38 of the skirt member 24. The main body portion 32 is also provided with an end wall portion 40.

The body portion 32 is arranged to provide a tear strip comprising a finger engaging portion 42 and a neck portion 44, both defined by a line of weakened material providing a tear path 46. The path 46 comprises a steeply inclined portion 48 forming a portion of the tear strip of increasing depth with respect to the skirt member. The path 46 thus provides communication between an upper line of weakness 50, between the body portion and the end wall 40, and a lower line of weakness 52, between the body portion and the lower annular portion 34. It will be understood that the lines of weakness are defined in the present example by means of a slot formed in the thickness of the body member, the integrity of which is maintained by a plurality of shearable links 54.

The removal of the tear strip, and therefore the body member 32 and the end wall 40, is shown in Figures 3 to 5, in which the portion 42 is seen to be grasped and pulled outwardly from the assembly, breaking the links 54 as the member 32 is peeled away from the skirt member 24 and finally removed. The end wall 40 is then removed (Figure 6) and the closure cap 22 is then accessible for removal in the ordinary way.

However, the annular portion 34 is still firmly retained in place as clear visual evidence that the hood member has been removed and therefore the container is not in its as-bottled condition.

The flange portion 36 is formed on the hood means 30 in the manner as shown in Figure 7, in which the flange portion is shown in a downwardly projecting position, in which it is released from its mould. To apply the hood means to the closure assembly by pressing the means over the assembly, the flange portion 36 is caused to become inturned (arrow A) and to project upwardly so as to permit permanent engagement with the shoulder 28 as described above. The inturning action is assisted by discontinuities 56 provided in its free lower edge. Alternatively the flange portion may be moulded in separate arcuate portions.

Various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

CLAINS:

1. A closure assembly to be applied to the mouth of a neck of a container for liquid, comprising a pouring outlet device adapted to surround said mouth and a cap adapted to close the outlet device, said outlet device comprising a tubular skirt member adapted to engage an exterior surface of the container neck so as to surround said neck, there being further provided a hood means surrounding and enclosing the closure cap and the skirt member and having an annular portion adapted to engage in a permanent manner with a lower end portion of the skirt member, said hood means incorporating a tear strip, wherein the annular portion is adapted to remain in engagement with the lower portion of the skirt member after the container is opened so as to provide a tamper-evident ring remaining after the tear strip is removed.

2. A closure assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tear strip is of non-uniform depth with respect to the skirt member, a line of weakness being provided in the hood means extending in an at least part-helical path from the vicinity of said tamper evident ring to an upper portion of the hood means.

3. A closure assembly as claimed in either one of claims 1 and 2, wherein said upper portion of the hood means comprises an end wall adapted to engage the closure cap.

4. A closure assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said hood means is provided with a second line of weakness adjacent a lower edge of said tear strip, permitting release of the hood means from the tamper evident ring.

5. A closure assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tamper evident ring is maintained in position after the container is opened by means of inturned flange means adapted to be received in permanent engagement with a lower edge portion of the skirt member.

6. A closure assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein said flange means comprise an at least substantially annular flange.

7. A closure assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said annular flange is provided with discontinuities at its free edge.

8. A closure assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein said flange means comprise arcuate flange portions.

9. A closure assembly to be applied to the mouth of a neck of a container for liquid, constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the drawings.