WO2020212749A1

WO2020212749A1 - Screw cap

Info

Publication number: WO2020212749A1
Application number: PCT/IB2020/000250
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lucas Karel Johannes Van Den Broek
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2019-04-16
Filing date: 2020-04-16
Publication date: 2020-10-22
Anticipated expiration: 2021-10-16
Also published as: NL2022958B1

Abstract

Described is a screw cap (1, 40), intended for closing off an opening (27) of a container (20), comprising: • a closing member (38) and • a casing (4) that is movable relative to the closing member, the casing having a substantially circular casing wall (5) with an interior side (5A) having internal thread (10) and an exterior side (5B), wherein the closing member at least comprises: a closing element (6), comprising a lid member (13) for closing off the opening of the container in a sealing manner, fixation means (7) configured for attaching the closing member around the opening of the container at least a connection lip (33) that is connected to the closing element so as to hinge, which connection lip is located between the closing element and the fixation means, as a result of which in the opened state of the screw cap the closing element can be moved so as to hinge relative to the external thread and the fixation means, wherein the casing comprises: a first passage stop (17) cooperating with the closing element, such that axial movement of the casing to beyond the closing element is prevented.

Description

Screw cap

The invention relates to a screw cap for closing off an opening of a container, in particular for closing off a pressurized container, such as a bottle for carbonated beverages.

In the art, screw caps are widely known. The problem with caps in general is that they can be detached from the container that is closed off by the cap. The container and the cap are thrown away after the container has been emptied, and the caps often are not disposed of in the designated trash cans as they should be, but are simply thrown away in the street or in nature. Due to their small dimensions they are hard to recover and consequently pollute the environment.

Attempts have been made to solve this problem by designing the caps such that they remain attached to the container after opening. Snap caps that are clamped around a flange of a bottle, have long been known to be clamped around the bottle by means of a collar member, wherein the snap cap is able to hinge relative to the collar member in a controlled manner.

However, such caps are not suitable for closing off pressurized containers, such as bottles of carbonated beverages. It has indeed been attempted to provide screw caps that can be used on the usual soft drink bottles with a screw cap, which screw caps remain attached to the bottle after opening, such as for instance described in US4,805,792, US57251 15, US8720716 and US2002/0130100, US2012/0205377 and US2018/0155094. They all regard solutions that also provide for a collar member that is clamped around the opening of the bottle or that are slid over a flange edge of the bottle to prevent the collar member from getting detached from the bottle. The screw cap according to US4,805,792 for instance comprises a plastic lip that is attached to the collar member and the screw cap, which lip, when opening the screw cap, is partially torn apart from the screw cap as a result of which length is created in the lip so that the cap remains hanging from the collar after having been unscrewed from the bottle opening.

However, the solutions from the state of the art have the disadvantage that the lip is relatively delicate and that the cap will easily be torn away from the bottle as yet. It is also disadvantageous that an opened cap hangs from the bottle in an uncontrolled manner, so that when drinking from the bottle, the cap might soon get in the way. The invention provides an improved screw cap having the advantage of the known hinging snap cap, wherein the cap hinges in a controlled manner relative to the bottle whereas the cap is nonetheless provided with a thread to be resistant to the pressure in the container, such as a bottle for carbonated beverages. The screw cap according to the invention can be attached to the known snap cap bottles, as well as to known screw cap bottles.

For that purpose, the invention provides a screw cap according to claim 1 , and specific embodiments as described in the dependent claims, as well as an assembly of such a screw cap and a container to which the screw cap is attached. This container preferably is a pressurized container, more particularly a bottle for carbonated beverages. Both the screw cap and the container preferably are made of a flexible material, preferably a plastic.

The screw cap according to the invention comprises a closing member having a closing element for closing off the opening of the container and fixation means for attaching the closing member to the container. The closing member further comprises at least a hinging connection lip that is located between the closing element and the fixation means, as a result of which in the opened state of the screw cap the closing element can be moved so as to hinge relative to the external thread and the fixation means. The casing is movable relative to the closing member and comprises a substantially circular casing wall with an interior and an exterior side, wherein the interior side is provided with an internal thread that is complementary to an external thread. This external thread is located around the opening of the container and may be part of this container, but this external thread may also be part of a sleeve member of the screw cap, which sleeve member also comprises the closing member. A screw cap including sleeve member can be used on a container that does not have external thread itself, or is provided with an external thread that is unsuitable for cooperation with the internal thread of the casing of the screw cap. In the latter case, the sleeve member may comprise an internal thread that is complementary to the external thread of such a container.

To promote opening and closing, the casing and the opening of the container as well as the closing element preferably are configured circular.

The fixation means of the screw cap are spaced apart from the closing element, wherein the external thread is located between the closing element and the fixation means when the screw cap is placed on the container in a sealing manner. In that way, the casing can be rotated in axial direction around the external thread from an opened state into a closed state of the screw cap and vice versa. In the closed state of the screw cap, the closing element is then held by the casing wherein the lid member closes off the container. In the closed state, the casing clamps the closing element against the opening of the container, or if present, against the sleeve member, wherein the opening of the container is being closed off.

The casing comprises a first passage stop cooperating with the closing element, such that axial displacement of the casing to beyond the closing element is prevented. As a result, the casing remains connected to the container in the opened state of the screw cap as well, as the closing element is connected to the container via the hinging lip and the fixation means of the closing member. In that way it is prevented that the casing gets detached from the container.

In an attractive embodiment, the external thread cooperating with the internal thread of the casing is part of the container. As already indicated, a sleeve member being accommodated in the screw cap is not necessary, which results in a significant saving on material. After all, the internal thread of the casing can then cooperate with the external thread of the casing.

Preferably, the container comprises a substantially circular flange edge around its opening and the fixation means of the closing member are configured for rotatably retaining the closing member around the flange edge of the opening of the container. In this embodiment, the casing and the closing member are capable of moving jointly around the external thread of the container when unscrewing the screw cap. As soon as the casing has been unscrewed from the external thread, the closing element can be moved away from the opening. This motion can also take place through the agency of the passage stop which takes along the closing element when the casing is unscrewed. The passage stop also prevents the casing from getting detached from the container.

The passage stop can be formed by dimensioning the internal thread of the casing such that its inside diameter is smaller than the outside diameter of the closing element. When unscrewing, the casing takes along the closing element, but it cannot be moved beyond the closing element.

In an advantageous embodiment, the circular casing wall of the casing at its interior side comprises one or more recesses for accommodating the at least one connection lip. The connection lip runs through this recess. When unscrewing or closing the casing, the lip is taken along and that is why the closing member rotates along with the casing.

The closing member may comprise several connection lips placed adjacent to each other. In such a case, the casing wall comprises one or more recesses in which these connection lips can be accommodated. More than one connection lip has the advantage that the hinging action around a round opening runs more smoothly when a number of slightly spaced apart connection lips have been placed as opposed to one single wide lip.

In an advantageous embodiment, the closing element is integrally formed with the fixation means via the connection lip. This is for instance possible by designing the closing member out of one piece of plastic.

In another advantageous embodiment, the casing is connected to a collar member by break connections, which collar member is adapted for being secured in a clamping manner around the fixation means of the closing member. In that way, a sealed closure is provided, wherein the break connections break as soon as the casing is rotated around the external thread into the open condition. During rotation, the casing moves away from the fixation means of the closing member, as the fixation means form a connection with the container. Due to the increasing distance, the connections break. In that way it can be verified whether or not the screw cap has been opened before.

Preferably, the casing comprises a second passage stop located above the first passage stop, which second passage stop cooperates with the closing element, such that axial displacement of the closing element to beyond the casing is prevented. Due to the presence of a second passage stop the closing element is as it were confined in the casing in between the first and the second passage stop. The second passage stop may also serve in keeping the closing element in the closed state of the screw cap. By rotating the casing towards the fixation means into the closed state, the closing element is pushed against the opening of the container by the second passage stop and the opening is closed off.

The second passage stop advantageously comprises one or more flange members that extend radially inward to beyond the circumference of the closing element, such that the closing element passing from the interior of the casing to beyond the one or more flange members is counteracted. This second passage stop can also be configured as one single inwardly oriented circular flange. The closing element preferably comprises a flange member extending radially to beyond the lid member. The outside circumference of this flange member preferably is larger than the inside circumference of the circular flange or flange members of the casing, for in that way enabling engagement by the casing onto the closing element and as a consequence closing off the opening.

Preferably, the screw cap according to the invention is designed such that the symmetry of the closing element and the casing allows the casing to pass around the closing element down to the fixation means of the closing member while applying pressure, whereas, under such pressure the closing element is prevented from passing through the casing in the opposing direction. This can be effected by configuring parts of the screw cap to be resilient at one side, which is known to the expert and will be elucidated in further detail in the description of the figures below. Such symmetry is advantageous for putting the screw cap together from its various parts prior to placing it on a container.

In a particular embodiment, the external thread located around the opening of the container together with the closing member forms a sleeve member that is separate from the container, the sleeve member comprising a substantially circular sleeve member wall with an interior side and an exterior side, which sleeve member comprises an upper side oriented towards the closing element, and a bottom side oriented away from the closing element, which sleeve member at its exterior side comprises the external thread and the fixation means are configured for securing the sleeve member around the opening of the container.

Contrary to the embodiments described above, the casing in this embodiment rotates around the sleeve member, which sleeve member is attached to the container by means of the fixation means. In that way, the casing does not need to have recesses or other adaptations to allow the closing member to rotate along with the casing. In this embodiment the casing rotates around the sleeve member, and as a consequence also around the closing element that is part of the sleeve member. As soon as the casing has been rotated so as to be free from the external thread of the sleeve member, the closing element can be opened by hinging it together with the casing relative to the container. Just like in the embodiments described above, the passage stop prevents the casing from getting detached from the container.

In the art, the use of a sleeve member for a screw cap is known per se. CH551321 and US5, 174,460 for instance describe a plastic sleeve member that is rotated around an external thread around the opening of a glass container, which sleeve member itself also has an external thread. A plastic screw cap is rotated around this thread again in order to obtain a proper sealing of the container in that way. However, no measures are known to attach such a screw cap fixedly to the container.

When a sleeve member is present, the fixation means preferably are designed such that the sleeve member is fixedly attached to the container. A fixed attachment prevents the sleeve member from rotating along when the casing is rotated.

This embodiment of the screw cap according to the invention, intended for closing off an opening of a container comprises a sleeve member having a substantially circular sleeve member wall with an interior side and an exterior side, a casing having a substantially circular casing wall with an interior side and an exterior side, and a closing element connected to the sleeve member, which sleeve member comprises fixation means for securing the sleeve member around the opening of the container, comprises an external thread at the exterior side of the sleeve member wall, comprises an upper side oriented towards the closing element, and a bottom side oriented away from the closing element, which closing element: comprises a lid member that is capable of cooperating with the sleeve member or the opening of the container in a sealing manner, comprises a flange member extending radially to beyond the lid member, which casing comprises an upper side and a bottom side, comprises an internal thread that is complementary to the external thread of the sleeve member, such that the casing can be rotated in axial direction around the sleeve member and the closing element can be rotated from an opened state into a closed state of the screw cap and vice versa, wherein in closed state the closing element is held by the casing, and the lid member sealingly cooperates with the sleeve member or the opening of the container; which casing comprises a first passage stop, which cooperates with the closing element or locally with the sleeve member, such that axial displacement of the casing to beyond the closing element or the sleeve member, respectively, is prevented.

The closing element preferably is integrally formed with the sleeve member via the connection lip.

The casing preferably is connected to a collar member by means of break connections, which collar member comprises one or more inwardly oriented cams, and the sleeve member comprises one or more cavities or openings for accommodating the one or more cams of the collar member, such that the collar member is attached to the sleeve member in a clamping manner. Such break connections provide a tamper-evident closure. The screw cap can only be opened by rotating the casing relative to the sleeve member as a result of which the break connections break.

The collar member advantageously comprises one or more beveled cams permitting release of the casing from the collar member in one single direction of rotation.

The screw cap according to the invention, as discussed above, can be attached to a container the opening of which comprises an external thread, in which case the fixation means of the sleeve member preferably comprise internal thread preferably formed at the interior side of the sleeve member wall, which internal thread is complementary to the external thread of the casing. However, when the screw cap is meant to be attached to a container which around its opening comprises a substantially circular flange edge, the fixation means of the sleeve member preferably comprise clamping means for clamping the sleeve member to the flange edge of the opening of the container.

To ensure release of the sleeve member from the casing, the sleeve member preferably comprises catch means that counteract loosening of the sleeve member from the container.

The screw cap including sleeve member according to the invention advantageously is integrally formed, wherein the bottom side of the sleeve member is connected to the casing via break connections. Under pressure, the sleeve member can be pushed through the casing, the break connections breaking and the screw cap being ready to be attached to the container in one single action as an assembled part. For that purpose, the symmetry of the flange member of the closing element, the internal thread of the casing and the external thread of the sleeve member preferably is designed such that it allows the closing element and the sleeve member to pass through the upper side of the casing down into the casing while applying pressure, whereas, such pressure prevents the closing element and the sleeve member from passing in the opposing direction. Such symmetry makes simple assembling of the screw cap possible. The sleeve member is pushed from the top down through the casing, which can be made possible by for instance designing the flange members of the casing to be downwardly resilient yet rigid in the opposite direction. In that way the casing can be pushed over the closing element of the closing member. The additional embodiments of the screw cap discussed above will be further elucidated in the figures.

The invention will be elucidated on the basis of the related figures, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side view (figure 1A) and a view in perspective (figure 1 B) of a casing of a screw cap according to a first embodiment of the invention, intended to be placed on a container having external thread around its opening.

Figure 2 shows a side view (figure 2A) and a view in perspective (figure 2B) of a closing member of a screw cap according to the first embodiment of the invention.

Figure 3 shows a view in perspective of three steps in opening a screw cap of the first embodiment, wherein figure 3A shows the closed state, figure 3B a semi- opened state and 3C the opened state.

Figure 4 shows a cross-section of the state shown in figure 3B.

Figure 5 shows an integrally injection-molded screw cap according to a second embodiment of the invention including sleeve member, prior to being assembled. Figures 5A, 5B and 5C, show a realistic view, a schematic side view and a schematic exploded side view, respectively.

Figure 6 shows the screw cap of figure 5 in a number of stages during assembling. Figures 6A, 6B and 6C show a realistic view of three consecutive stages during assembling. Figures 6D and 6E, show a schematic side view and a schematic exploded side view, respectively, of the screw cap of figure 6C.

Figure 7 shows realistic views of openings of common containers for beverages, wherein figure 7A shows a common opening of a known plastic beverage bottle to which a snap cap can be attached, figure 7B and 7C show a common opening of a known plastic beverage bottle to which a known screw cap can be attached.

Figure 8 shows the placing of the assembled screw cap of figure 6C on a beverage bottle of figure 7C in a number of consecutive stages. Figures 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D show a realistic view of four consecutive stages during placing. Figures 8E and 8F, show a schematic side view and a view in cross-section, respectively, of the screw cap of figure 8D placed on a beverage bottle.

Figures 9 shows a number of consecutive stages in the opening of the bottle of figure 8D. Figures 9A, 9B, 9C, 9D and 9E show a realistic view of four consecutive stages during opening. Figures 9F and 9G, show a schematic side view and a view in cross-section, respectively, of the screw cap at a stage between that of figures 9B and 9C. Figures 9H and 9I, respectively, show a schematic side view and a cross-section of the screw cap of figure 9E.

Figure 10 shows the clamping of the sleeve member of the screw cap according to figure 5 in the collar of the screw cap, wherein figure 10A shows a view of the state shown in figure 5A, and figure 10B shows the state of the screw cap in assembled condition according to figure 6C.

Figure 1 1 shows an embodiment of a sleeve member of a screw cap according to the invention, placed on a bottle according to figure 7B.

Figure 12 shows an embodiment of a screw cap according to the invention including sleeve member, in figure 12A in a view without casing, in figure 12B in a view with an exploded casing wherein the thread in the interior side of the casing is indeed visible.

In the figures identical or similar elements are each time indicated by the same reference numbers, and when certain elements have already been provided with a reference number in another figure, it may be so that the reference number for such elements is absent in a figure. By considering the figures jointly, the absence of reference numbers in some figures will not affect the clarity.

Figure 1A shows a casing 4 having a collar member 19, connected to the casing via break connections 18. Figure 1 B shows casing 4 having circular wall 5 with an exterior side 5B and an interior side 5A. An internal thread 10 is present at the interior side 5A, which thread is complementary to an external thread of a container around its opening as shown in figures 7B and 7C. The upper part of the internal thread 10 forms the first passage stop 17. At the interior side 5A of the casing 4 there are two recesses 37 for accommodating two connection lips, shown in figure 2.

Figure 2 shows a closing member 38 with a closing element 6, having lid member 13 and a flange member 14 that extends radially to beyond the lid member. The closing element is intended for sealingly closing off the opening of the container. Via two connection lips 33, the closing member 6 is connected to a collar edge 7 with cams, which collar edge is intended to engage onto a circular flange edge of a container, which flange edge is indicated by 26 in figures 4 and 7B and 7C. The collar edge 7 is designed such that the rotation of the collar edge around the flange edge of the container is possible. At the upper side, collar edge 7 comprises a circular flange 39 extending to the outside, onto which collar member 19 of casing 4 of figure 1 is able to engage, as a result of which casing 4 is attached to the closing member. In figure 3 a screw cap consisting of a casing 4 and a closing member 38 as shown in figures 1 and 2 is depicted on a bottle opening as shown in figure 7C. In figure 3A in closed state, wherein the break connections 18 are still intact. Collar member 19 engages onto the flange edge of bottle 20. At the upper side, casing 4 has an annular flange 29 extending radially inwards and having an inside circumference that is smaller than the outside circumference of the closing element 6. In that way, closing element 6 is kept in closed condition against the opening of the bottle 20 and closes it off. When rotating the casing 4, the casing 4 moves upwards relative to the bottle 20 as a result of which the break connections 18 are broken and casing 4 is released from the collar member 19. As the inside circumference of flange 29 of casing 4 is smaller than the outside circumference of closing element 6, the closing element 6 cannot move to beyond the casing. The flange 29 also serves in keeping the closing element, in its closed state, against the opening of the bottle 20 in a clamping manner. By unscrewing the casing 4 from the bottle 20, the screw cap will be opened as shown in figure 3C. Casing 4 is flipped open due to a hinging action of connection lips 33 as a result of which the bottle 20 is opened. The closing element 6 is confined inside the casing by the annular flange 29 on the one hand and the upper part 17 of internal thread 10 on the other hand, as shown in figure 1 B. This is because the inside diameter of the internal thread 10 and that of the flange 29 of the casing 4 are smaller than the diameter of the closing element. In that way, the closing element 6 is able to move within the casing between these two passage stops, but not beyond them.

In the cross-section of figure 4, the situation of figure 3B is shown, wherein closing element 6 is confined between the first passage stop, formed by the upper part 17 of the internal thread 10 of the casing 4, and a second passage stop, formed by the flange 29 of the casing 4. The closing element 6 is taken along by the first passage stop 17 and is opened. Closing element 6 comprises a flange member 14 defining the outside circumference of the closing element. The collar edge 7, released from casing 4, is located against flange 26 of the bottle 20.

For putting together the screw cap for assembly to the bottle, casing 4, while exerting pressure, is pushed around the closing member 38 so that the collar member 19 engages around annular bottle 39. For that purpose, the internal thread 10 of the casing 4 preferably is beveled at the bottom side, in order to permit passage of the closing member 6 in the upward direction. The closing member is then stopped by flange 29. The geometry of the internal thread 10 of the casing 4 does not permit passage of the closing element 6 back past the internal thread. Put together in that way, the screw cap can be attached to a container such as a plastic bottle by rotating the casing 4 with its internal thread 10 around the external thread 8 located around the opening of the bottle 20.

In figure 5A, screw cap 1 is shown with a sleeve member 2 provided with a circular sleeve member wall 3, provided with an external thread 8. The sleeve member is connected to a casing 4 via break connections 31 , the casing having a circular casing wall 5, provided with ribs 32 that run vertically for improving the grip. The casing 4 is connected to a collar member 19 via break connections 18, which collar member comprises cams 23 that are beveled at one side. Via two lips 33 that extend substantially vertically, the sleeve member 2 is connected to a closing element 6 with lid 13 and a flange 14, which flange extends radially around and from the lid 6. In this embodiment, the external thread 8 also continues over lips 33. The connection between sleeve member 2 and closing element 6 can for instance also be effected by one or more smooth lips without thread. The operation of the screw cap 1 does not require either that the lip or lips 33 are integrally formed with the closing element 6 and/or the sleeve member 2. The connection between sleeve member 2 and closing element 6 can also be obtained by a separate connection element. Although in the case shown, a single circular flange 14 is shown, the closing element 6 may instead thereof be provided with one or more flange members that only cover a part of the circumference of the lid. In that way, several spaced apart flange members, for instance designed as radially extending cams, may be present. The one or more flange members preferably are integrally formed with the lid member. Although in the case shown here the closing element, the sleeve member and the casing have been integrally formed, for instance by means of injection molding or 3D printing, it is also possible that the casing is manufactured separate from the sleeve member, and/or the closing element is manufactured separate from the sleeve member.

In figure 5B, the screw cap 1 of figure 5A is shown in a schematic side view, wherein the upper side and the bottom side of the sleeve member 2 are indicated by 9A and 9B, respectively. There are openings 22 near the bottom side of the sleeve member, which openings may also be configured as cavities. In the exploded schematic view of figure 5C it can be seen that the casing wall 5 of casing 4 at its interior side 5A is provided with an internal thread 10, that is complementary to the external thread 8 of the sleeve member 2. The dimensions of the thread have been chosen such in this case that the circular flange 14 of closing member 6 has a larger outside diameter than the inside diameter of the internal thread 10. As will be explained further below, this means that the upper winding 17 of the internal thread 10 serves as passage stop for the closing element. The upper side and bottom side of the casing 4 are indicated by 15 and 16, respectively. At the upper side, the casing 4 is provided with an annular flange 29 that extends radially to the inside, wherein the inside diameter of this flange 29 is slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the flange 14 of the closing element. At the bottom side 16, the casing comprises a number of inwardly oriented cams. These cams, as will be explained further below, are accommodated in openings 22 of the sleeve member.

In figures 6A - 6C, consecutive stages in the assembly of the screw cap of figure 5A are shown. By exerting a downward force on the screw cap 1 of figure 5A, the sleeve member 2 as well as the closing element 6 will be able to be pushed into the sleeve member. In figure 6A approximately one third of the sleeve member 2 has passed by the upper side 15 of the casing 4, in figure 6B more than half the sleeve member and in figure 6C the entire sleeve member 2 as well as the closing element 6 have passed by the upper side 15 of the casing 4, as a result of which it is situated in casing 4. Pushing the sleeve member 2 and the closing member 6 into the casing 4 is possible when the material of the casing 4, or the material of the sleeve member 2 and the closing member 6 is flexible and permits being slightly pushed in or stretched. Preferably both the casing 4, the sleeve member 2 and the closing member 6 are made of such flexible material. This is for instance the case when the screw cap 1 is integrally formed out of a flexible plastic for instance by injection molding or 3D printing. However, it is also possible that the sleeve member 2 and the casing 4 are formed individually, wherein in an attractive embodiment closing member 6 is integrally formed with the sleeve member 2.

That way, when pushing the sleeve member into the casing 4, the external thread 8 of the sleeve member 2 is wrenched along the internal thread of the casing 4, as well as along the casing flange 29. In this way, the closing element 6, the flange 14 of which has a larger outside diameter than the inside diameter of the casing flange 29, together with flange 14 is pushed through the opening of the flange 29. The expert will immediately understand how this can be effected wherein a return movement is prevented. For that purpose, in the embodiment shown, the casing flange 29 is integrally formed with the casing 4 at an angle of less than 90°, as a result of which it will give way in the movement to the inside but will not do so in the opposite direction. The internal casing thread 10 can also be beveled at the upper side or external sleeve member thread 8 can be beveled at the bottom side, or both threads can be beveled in that way. In that case the sleeve member will be able to be pushed downwards through the sleeve member, but it cannot be pushed back to the outside from this assembled position. For that purpose, flange 14 of lid closing element 6 may slightly extend upwards from the lid 13, so that when the closing member moves downwards the flange 14 gives way, but the other way round it does not.

The schematic view of figure 6D corresponds to the assembled position of figure 6C. In the corresponding exploded schematic view of figure 6E it can be seen that due to the assembly, the cams 21 of collar member 19 of the casing 4 engage into the openings 22 of the sleeve member 2, as a result of which the collar member 19 is permanently fixated to the sleeve member 2.

Figure 7 shows openings of existing soft drink bottles; figure 7A shows an opening 27 of a bottle 20 intended to be provided with a so-called 'snap cap'. For that purpose, the bottle 20 has two flanges 26 and 34, in between which a collar member of the snap cap can be clamped. The lid of the snap cap is able to hinge with the collar and can be clamped around the opening 27 in order to close it off. Figures 7B and 7C show openings 27 of soft drink bottles 20 that are intended to be closed off with a screw cap and for that purpose have an external thread 24 around the opening 27. Such a bottle also has two flanges 26 and 34. In the case shown, the external thread 24 is interrupted to make degassing of the bottle possible when it is being opened. This is of particular importance when the bottle is used for containing a pressurized content, such as carbonated soft drink. Although only beverage bottles are being shown, the screw cap according to the invention is not only usable on beverage bottles. Other containers, such as jerrycans etc. can be closed off using a screw cap according to the invention. In order to be able to be attached to the opening 27 of a container, the screw cap according to the invention comprises fixation means that are suitable for that purpose. For instance, the screw cap 1 of figure 5 has a number of inwardly oriented cams 7 that clamp around a flange 26 situated around the opening 27 of a container. The dimensions of said cams 7 are adapted to those of the flange 26. By pushing the cap onto the bottle, the cams snap over the flange and the screw cap is attached to the bottle. In an advantageous embodiment, the fixation means of the screw cap comprise an internal thread at the interior wall 3A (see figure 8F) of the sleeve member 2, corresponding to the external thread of the container, as a result of which the sleeve member 2 can be screwed onto the container. It is very attractive to provide the sleeve member 2 with the above-mentioned cams 7 as well, which in that case, when screwing the sleeve member 2 onto the container, snap around the flange as a result of which unscrewing the sleeve member 2 is counteracted. Other measures for counteracting the sleeve member 2 getting detached from the container will be discussed below.

Figure 8 shows how a screw cap according to the invention is arranged on an existing soft drink bottle as described in figure 7C. The opening 27 of the bottle 20 has an external thread 24. The screw cap as described in figure 6C in assembled condition is screwed around the opening of the bottle, wherein the internal thread 25 (see figure 9G) engages onto the external thread 25 of the bottle 20. Due to this internal thread 25 the sleeve member is fixated onto the container. Figures 8B and 8C show how the screw cap is screwed onto the bottle, until in the final position shown in figures 8D - 8E, wherein the fixation means 7 of the sleeve member, configured as cams 27, clamp around the flange 26 of the bottle 20, which is shown in the view in cross-section of figure 8F. The casing flange 29 of the casing 4 also abuts the flange 14 of lid 13, as a result of which the closing element 6 is held by the casing 4 and the lid 13 closes off the opening 27 of the bottle 20 and sealingly cooperates therewith. It is also possible that the sleeve member sealingly cooperates with the lid. In figure 8F, the lid 13 sealingly closes off the bottle opening 27 by means of a circular ring wall 35 that sealingly abuts the interior wall of the bottle opening 27. Alternatively, in the closed position, the lid 13 may sealingly abut the upper side 9A of the sleeve member 2. This situation for instance occurs when the sleeve member extends to beyond the opening of the bottle and the lid when closing off, does not contact the wall of the bottle. In the case shown, the lid 13 connects to both the upper side of the sleeve member 2 and the bottle wall.

The screw cap according to the invention can be placed on the bottles by existing filling lines. For that purpose, the screw caps are grabbed in assembled condition at the casing and in the embodiment shown screwed onto the bottle in a clockwise fashion. As in this rotary motion the casing hits the vertical walls of the cams 23, the casing 4 fixedly abuts the collar member 19 and the sleeve member 2, due to its fixation to the collar member 19, is screwed around the thread of bottle 20. When rotating further it is possible that cams 21 abut flange 34 of the bottle as a result of which the cams are pushed back to the outside as a result of which the fixation between the collar member 19 and the sleeve member 2 is ended, and the casing is able to rotate freely around the sleeve member 2. This feature is a protection but not a necessity.

Figure 9 shows the opening of the screw cap from a closed position as shown in figures 8D and 9A. To open, the casing 4 is rotated relative to the sleeve member 2 by cooperation between the external thread 8 of the sleeve member 2 and the internal thread 10 of the casing 4. As the collar member 19 comprises a number of beveled cams 23 that permit release of the casing 4 from the collar member 19 in one single direction, this can only be anti-clockwise in the case shown. The collar member preferably is connected to the casing via one or more break connections 31 that seal the screw cap. When unscrewing, the break connections are broken as a result of which it is visible that the screw cap has been opened before. The presence of the collar member is not necessary, but highly advantageous as in that way a previous opening of the screw cap can become visible and by placing beveled cams the rotation of the screw cap in one single direction can be controlled. As discussed earlier and will be further elucidated below, the collar member 19 of the casing 4 can be provided with cams 21 which upon assembly have been snapped into the dedicated openings 22 in the sleeve member 2, as a result of which mutual rotation of the collar member 19 and the sleeve member 2 is prevented. Upon unscrewing the casing 4 further, the thread 10 of the casing 4 will push against the flange 14 of the closing member 6 and move it upwards, as a result of which the lid member 13 is released from the opening of the bottle, which is shown in the view in cross-section of figure 9G. That is why the upper winding of thread 10 is also passage stop 17, as indicated in figure 5C. Axial displacement of the casing to beyond the closing element 6 is prevented by the upper winding of thread 10, that means the passage stop 17.

It is also possible to configure the flange 14 of the closing element 6 as external thread which upon opening cooperates with the internal thread 10 of the casing 4. In that case, the casing 4 comprises a stop element near the thread 10 as a result of which further rotation of the casing around the closing element is blocked. Such a stop element may for instance comprise a truncated end of the thread, which upon rotation for instance hits a cam on the closing element. The expert knows many varieties with this purpose, a few of which are shown in figure 12. To facilitate degassing the content of the container, the external thread 8 of the sleeve member 2, or the internal thread 10 of the casing 4, or both, may be interrupted, to allow the gas to escape from the container past the interruptions during unscrewing. This feature is known in the art and the known bottles as shown in figures 7B and 7C are provided with such an interrupted thread.

Once the lid member 13 has been released from the bottle 20 as shown in figures 9B, 9F and 9G, the casing 4 can be further unscrewed from the sleeve member 2, wherein the internal thread 10 of the casing 4 is screwed out of the external thread 8 of the sleeve member 2 and the casing with the closing element in there is able to flip open via lips 33. The casing 4 keeps the closing member 6 between the casing flange 29 and the upper winding of thread 10, as a result of which, in the opened state, the casing remains connected to the bottle. The opened position is shown in figures 9E, 9H and 9I. The screw cap can be closed again by flipping the casing back onto the opening 27 of the bottle 20 and subsequently rotating it clockwise around the sleeve member 2, wherein when closing, the closing element is sealingly held against the opening 27 of the bottle 20 or against the sleeve member 2 by casing flange 29 which engages onto the flange 14 of the closing element.

In figure 10 the cooperation between the cams 21 of the collar member 19 and the openings 22 in the sleeve member 2 is shown. In figure 10A, the configuration prior to assembly of the screw cap is shown, and in figure 10B in assembled position, wherein the cams 21 fall into openings 22. In that way, the collar member 19 and the sleeve member 2 are no longer rotatable with respect to each other. Opening the screw cap is only possible by rotating the casing 4 anticlockwise due to the beveled cams 23 at collar member 19.

In the embodiment as shown in figure 1 1 , use is made of the interruptions in the thread of the container. At its interior side, the sleeve member 2 is provided with vertical fins 36 that are inwardly oriented. As a result, rotating the sleeve member 2 anticlockwise relative to the container 20 is blocked, but when rotating clockwise the fins 36 compress and are capable of passing the interruptions in the thread of the container 20. In that way it is counteracted that when opening the screw cap, it is effected that by unscrewing the casing anticlockwise from the sleeve member 2, the sleeve member 2 inadvertently gets detached from the bottle 20. This feature can be considered an alternative or addition to providing the sleeve member 2 with cams 7, 27 for clamping the sleeve member fixed onto the bottle 20 or container. In figure 12 another embodiment of the screw cap according to the invention is shown, wherein the flange 14 of the closing element 6 is configured as external thread 30 that is complementary to the internal thread 10 of casing 4. In order to prevent that casing 4 can be rotated to beyond the closing element, a cam-shaped stop element 28 is placed at or near thread 30 as a result of which rotating the casing further upwards around the closing element is blocked as the stop element is configured upwardly blunt in the direction of rotation of the casing, yet permits rotating the casing 4 downwards due to the presence of a inclined side over which the casing is able to rotate. The internal thread 10 of the casing 4 may for that purpose be locally interrupted blunt in the upward direction of rotation, and in the downward direction of rotation on the other hand have a gradual interruption which enables the inclined side of the cam to pass. In figure 8B the internal thread 10 of the casing 4 is shown, wherein the rest of the casing is left out for the sake of clarity.

In an embodiment that is not shown, the casing is not rotated upwards but downwards in the direction of the container in order to open the screw cap. For that purpose, the flange of the closing element is also configured as thread and is complementary to the internal thread 10 of casing 4. In this embodiment, the sleeve member has no external thread that is complementary to the internal thread 10 of the casing 4. The casing rotates due to the thread of flange 14 cooperating with the internal thread 10. At the bottom side, the casing is configured with an inwardly facing flange serving as passage stop, as a result of which it is prevented that the casing can be rotated to beyond the sleeve member. In comparison with the embodiments described above, the casing is placed upside-down as it were.

The configuration of the casing 4 in this embodiment preferably is mirrored compared to the embodiment described above, in order to allow the motion of the casing 4 towards the container to be natural, that means clockwise. However, it is also possible to configure the internal thread 10 of the casing and the thread of the flange of the closing element cooperating therewith such that the casing 4 is rotated towards the container by anticlockwise rotation. By rotating the casing 4 downwards towards the container, the closing element 6 is released and can be opened by the user.

Claims

1. Screw cap (1 , 40), intended for closing off an opening (27) of a container (20), comprising

- a closing member (38) and

- a casing (4) that is movable relative to the closing member, the casing having a substantially circular casing wall (5) with an interior side (5A) having internal thread (10) and an exterior side (5B),

wherein the closing member at least comprises:

a closing element (6), comprising a lid member (13) for closing off the opening of the container in a sealing manner,

fixation means (7) configured for attaching the closing member around the opening of the container, which fixation means are spaced apart from the closing element, wherein when the screw cap is placed on the container in a sealing manner an external thread (8), located around the opening of the container and complementary to the internal thread of the casing, is located in between the fixation means and the closing element, such that the casing can be rotated in axial direction around the external thread from an opened state into a closed state of the screw cap and vice versa, such that in the closed state of the screw cap the closing element is held by the casing wherein the lid member closes off the container,

at least a connection lip (33) that is connected to the closing element so as to hinge, which connection lip is located between the closing element and the fixation means, as a result of which in the opened state of the screw cap the closing element can be moved so as to hinge relative to the external thread and the fixation means,

wherein the casing comprises:

a first passage stop (17) cooperating with the closing element, such that axial movement of the casing to beyond the closing element is prevented.

2. Screw cap according to claim 1 , characterized in that it is intended to be attached to a container which around its opening comprises a substantially circular flange edge (26), wherein the fixation means (7) are configured for rotatably retaining the closing member around the flange edge of the opening of the container.

3. Screw cap according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at its interior side the circular casing wall of the casing comprises one or more recesses (37) for accommodating the at least one connection lip.

4. Screw cap according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closing element is integrally formed with the fixation means via the connection lip.

5. Screw cap according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the casing is connected to a collar member (19) via break connections (18), which collar member is configured to be secured in a clamping manner around the fixation means of the closing member.

6. Screw cap according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the symmetry of the closing element and the casing is designed such that it allows the casing to pass around the closing element down to the fixation means of the closing member while applying pressure, whereas, under such pressure the closing element is prevented from passing through the casing in the opposing direction.

7. Screw cap according to claim 1 , characterized in that the external thread located around the opening of the container together with the closing member forms a sleeve member (2) that is separate from the container, the sleeve member having a substantially circular sleeve member wall (3) with an interior side (3A) and an exterior side (3B), which sleeve member comprises an upper side (9A) oriented towards the closing element, and a bottom side (9B) oriented away from the closing element, which sleeve member at its exterior side comprises the external thread and the fixation means are configured for securing the sleeve member around the opening of the container.

8. Screw cap according to claim 7, characterized in that the closing element is integrally formed with the sleeve member via the connection lip.

9. Screw cap according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the casing is connected to a collar member (19) by means of break connections (18), which collar member comprises one or more inwardly oriented cams (21), and the sleeve member comprises one or more cavities or openings (22) for accommodating the one or more cams of the collar member, such that the collar member is attached to the sleeve member in a clamping manner.

10. Screw cap according to any one of the claims 7 - 9, characterized in that the collar member comprises one or more beveled cams (23) permitting release of the casing of the collar member in one single direction of rotation.

1 1. Screw cap according to any one of the claims 7 - 10, characterized in that it is intended to be attached to a container the opening of which comprises an external thread (24), wherein the fixation means of the sleeve member comprise internal thread (25) formed at the interior side of the sleeve member wall, which internal thread is complementary to the external thread of the container.

12. Screw cap according to any one of the claims 7 - 1 1 , characterized in that it is intended to be attached to a container which around its opening comprises a substantially circular flange edge (26), wherein the fixation means of the sleeve member comprise clamping means (7) for clamping the sleeve member to the flange edge of the opening of the container.

13. Screw cap according to claim 1 1 or 12, characterized in that the sleeve member comprises catch means (28) that counteract loosening of the sleeve member from the container.

14. Screw cap according to any one of the claims 7 - 13, characterized in that it is integrally formed, wherein the bottom side of the sleeve member is connected to the casing via break connections (31).

15. Screw cap according to any one of the claims 7 - 14, characterized in that the symmetry of the closing element, the internal thread of the casing and the external thread of the sleeve member is designed such that it allows the closing element and the sleeve member to pass through the upper side of the casing down into the casing while applying pressure, whereas, such pressure prevents the closing element and the sleeve member from passing in the opposing direction.

16. Screw cap according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the casing comprises a second passage stop (29) located above the first passage stop, which second passage stop cooperates with the closing element, such that axial displacement of the closing element to beyond the casing is prevented.

17. Screw cap according to claim 16, characterized in that the second passage stop comprises one or more flange members (29) that extend radially inward to beyond the circumference of the closing element, such that the closing element passing from the interior of the casing to beyond the one or more flange members is counteracted.

18. Screw cap according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closing element comprises a flange member (14) extending radially to beyond the lid member.

19. Screw cap according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the external thread, or the internal thread of the casing, or both are interrupted at one or more locations.

20. Screw cap according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is intended for attachment to a plastic bottle for carbonated beverages.

21. Screw cap according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is made of plastic.

22. Screw cap according to claim 21 , characterized in that is made by injection molding.

23. Assembly of a screw cap according to any one of the preceding claims and a container, in particular a plastic bottle for carbonated beverages.