EP0008190A1 - Pilferproof closure - Google Patents
Pilferproof closure Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0008190A1 EP0008190A1 EP79301527A EP79301527A EP0008190A1 EP 0008190 A1 EP0008190 A1 EP 0008190A1 EP 79301527 A EP79301527 A EP 79301527A EP 79301527 A EP79301527 A EP 79301527A EP 0008190 A1 EP0008190 A1 EP 0008190A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- cap
- bridges
- closure
- container
- ring
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
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Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D41/00—Caps, e.g. crown caps or crown seals, i.e. members having parts arranged for engagement with the external periphery of a neck or wall defining a pouring opening or discharge aperture; Protective cap-like covers for closure members, e.g. decorative covers of metal foil or paper
- B65D41/32—Caps or cap-like covers with lines of weakness, tearing-strips, tags, or like opening or removal devices, e.g. to facilitate formation of pouring openings
- B65D41/34—Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers provided with tamper elements formed in, or attached to, the closure skirt
- B65D41/3404—Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers provided with tamper elements formed in, or attached to, the closure skirt with ratchet-and-pawl mechanism between the container and the closure skirt or the tamper element
- B65D41/3409—Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers provided with tamper elements formed in, or attached to, the closure skirt with ratchet-and-pawl mechanism between the container and the closure skirt or the tamper element the tamper element being integrally connected to the closure by means of bridges
Definitions
- the invention relates to so called "pilferproof" closures.
- Such closures are well known and are used extensively on containers for ensuring that when a purchaser buys a particular liquid he can check that the container includes all the contents with which it was filled.
- Such pilferproof closures have been used on oil cans and on plastics containers containing a wide range of liquids.
- the closures usually comprise a cap and, integrally joined to the cap by a plurality of bridges, a ring of larger diameter which is arranged to engage complementary abutments on the container in use, to prevent unscrewing of the cap from the container without breaking of the bridges. Breaking of the bridges is arranged to require a predetermined torque so that accidental breaking is not normally possible. Thus, broken bridges on a closure on a container are an indication that the container has been tampered with.
- Pilferproof closures are increasingly used on blow moulded plastics containers intended for containing a wide range of liquids including household and industrial detergents, oil and numerous other chemicals.
- the larger diameter ring on such closures usually forms a ratchet engaging a number of abutments on the container adjacent its spout and the bridges, which usually extend radially of the cap, are snapped-off in a circumferential direction when the cap is unscrewed.
- certain plastics materials notably polypropylene
- the initial slight elongation of the bridges as the cap is rotated relative to the ring increases the strength of the bridges making it extremely difficult for a legitimate user of the liquid within the container to remove the cap initially.
- the ring is normally provided radially externally of the cap, it may be possible for the ring to be positioned axially spaced from a closure formed as a screw-threaded plug.
- a screw-on plastics closure for a container comprises a cap, and, integrally joined thereto adjacent an edge thereof by means of a plurality of bridges, a locking ring for securing to the container in use to prevent unscrewing of the cap from the container without breaking of the bridges, characterized in that the bridges extend from the adjacent part of the cap to the ring at an angle inclined in the direction of unscrewing of the cap.
- bridges with a depth which is greater than their width in order to increase the; security of the bridges when they are subjected to loads in the axial direction of the cap, for example during transport when they may be stacked one on top of another.
- the closure is formed of polypropylene and comprises a cap 1, of approximately 38mm diameter, having an internal raised screw-thread 2 formed on the annular sidewall 3. Joined to the cap 1 by eight bridges 11 which extend outwardly, and inclined to respective radii in the direction of unscrewing (A) of the cap 1, is a ring 4 which includes a number of inwardly projecting tangs 5 (in the present example 12 in number) extending inwardly inclined to respective radii of the ring in the direction of unscrewing of the closure.
- the tangs 5 are moulded so as to have sufficient resilience to enable them to ride over ratchet-like projections 6 formed on the spout 7 of the container 8 during screwing-on of the closure, but, when an attempt is made to remove the cap the tangs are compressed substantially longitudinally by engagement against the projections 6 and prevent rotation of the ring in the unscrewing direction (A) (in this case anti-clockwise).
- the spout 7 has an upstanding rim 9 on the exterior of which are formed a number of part helical screw-thread projections 10 for engagement with the screw-thread 2 on the cap 1.
- the ratchet projections 6 are ten in number and are provided in two sets of five in diametrically opposite halves of the spout with a slight gap between them. This is done so as to reduce the torque which is necessary to screw on the cap, only some of the tangs 5 engaging completely respective projections 6 by virtue of the oval shape of the envelope of the projections 6.
- the bridges 11 have, of course, to provide for sufficient flow of plastics material during moulding from the cap 1 to the ring 4 and as such have a cross-sectional area of 0.465mm 2 . In order to provide strength against forces acting on the closure in the axial direction the bridges 11 have a depth of 0.93mm which thus enables the required cross-section area to be provided by a width of 0.50mm.
- the closure shown is moulded in polypropylene, but this is not essential and it is envisaged that the mould necessary to produce the above closure could be used to produce closures in various other plastics materials as well.
- the bridges are inclined radially outwardly in the direction of unscrewing, it will be appreciated that if the ring were axially spaced from the cap the bridges would still be inclined, but only axially. Alternatively were the ring to lie radially inwardly of the cap, the bridges would extend inclined radially inwardly in the direction of unscrewing of the cap.
Abstract
A screw-on plastics closure for a container (8) has a cap (1) and a locking ring (4) for securing the closure to the container (8) in use to prevent unscrewing of the cap (1) from the container (8). The cap (1) is integrally connected to the locking ring (4) by means of a plurality of bridges (11) which extend from the adjacent part of the cap (1) to the ring (4) at an angle inclined in the direction of unscrewing of the cap (1)
Description
- The invention relates to so called "pilferproof" closures. Such closures are well known and are used extensively on containers for ensuring that when a purchaser buys a particular liquid he can check that the container includes all the contents with which it was filled. Such pilferproof closures have been used on oil cans and on plastics containers containing a wide range of liquids.
- The closures usually comprise a cap and, integrally joined to the cap by a plurality of bridges, a ring of larger diameter which is arranged to engage complementary abutments on the container in use, to prevent unscrewing of the cap from the container without breaking of the bridges. Breaking of the bridges is arranged to require a predetermined torque so that accidental breaking is not normally possible. Thus, broken bridges on a closure on a container are an indication that the container has been tampered with.
- Pilferproof closures are increasingly used on blow moulded plastics containers intended for containing a wide range of liquids including household and industrial detergents, oil and numerous other chemicals. The larger diameter ring on such closures usually forms a ratchet engaging a number of abutments on the container adjacent its spout and the bridges, which usually extend radially of the cap, are snapped-off in a circumferential direction when the cap is unscrewed. Unfortunately, with certain plastics materials, notably polypropylene, the initial slight elongation of the bridges as the cap is rotated relative to the ring, increases the strength of the bridges making it extremely difficult for a legitimate user of the liquid within the container to remove the cap initially.
- Although the ring is normally provided radially externally of the cap, it may be possible for the ring to be positioned axially spaced from a closure formed as a screw-threaded plug.
- According to the present invention a screw-on plastics closure for a container comprises a cap, and, integrally joined thereto adjacent an edge thereof by means of a plurality of bridges, a locking ring for securing to the container in use to prevent unscrewing of the cap from the container without breaking of the bridges, characterized in that the bridges extend from the adjacent part of the cap to the ring at an angle inclined in the direction of unscrewing of the cap.
- This construction has been found, particularly with polypropylene, to provide a very clean snapping-off of the bridges, as they have to be bent, and therefore stressed, much more severely than in conventional plastics pilferproof closures. It is believed that the acute angles between the bridges and the cap and ring serve to increase the stress concentration within the plastics material to cause the bridges to snap rather than bend or elongate. The use of polypropylene plastics closures has significant advantages over other types of plastics closure, particularly those made of low density plastics materials,as polypropylene is not seriously affected by stress cracking agents such as detergents which, with low density plastics materials can deleteriously affect the functioning of the closure and thus cause leakage.
- Additionally, we have found that it is advantageous to form the bridges with a depth which is greater than their width in order to increase the; security of the bridges when they are subjected to loads in the axial direction of the cap, for example during transport when they may be stacked one on top of another.
- One example of a closure constructed in accordance with the present invention will now be described briefly with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-
- Figure 1 is an exploded perpective view of the closure and complementary spout of a container;
- Figure 2 is a plan view of the spout;
- Figure 3 is a plan/underplan of the closure; and,
- Figure 4 is a partly sectioned side elevation of the closure when positioned on the spout.
- The closure is formed of polypropylene and comprises a
cap 1, of approximately 38mm diameter, having an internal raised screw-thread 2 formed on the annular sidewall 3. Joined to thecap 1 by eightbridges 11 which extend outwardly, and inclined to respective radii in the direction of unscrewing (A) of thecap 1, is aring 4 which includes a number of inwardly projecting tangs 5 (in the present example 12 in number) extending inwardly inclined to respective radii of the ring in the direction of unscrewing of the closure. Thetangs 5 are moulded so as to have sufficient resilience to enable them to ride over ratchet-like projections 6 formed on thespout 7 of the container 8 during screwing-on of the closure, but, when an attempt is made to remove the cap the tangs are compressed substantially longitudinally by engagement against the projections 6 and prevent rotation of the ring in the unscrewing direction (A) (in this case anti-clockwise). - The
spout 7 has anupstanding rim 9 on the exterior of which are formed a number of part helical screw-thread projections 10 for engagement with the screw-thread 2 on thecap 1. The ratchet projections 6 are ten in number and are provided in two sets of five in diametrically opposite halves of the spout with a slight gap between them. This is done so as to reduce the torque which is necessary to screw on the cap, only some of thetangs 5 engaging completely respective projections 6 by virtue of the oval shape of the envelope of the projections 6. - It will, be appreciated that in order to remove the
cap 1 from the container 8 thebridges 11 are stressed to breaking point, such stressing tending to snap-off thebridges 11 at their points of juncture with either thering 4 or thecap 1. - The
bridges 11 have, of course, to provide for sufficient flow of plastics material during moulding from thecap 1 to thering 4 and as such have a cross-sectional area of 0.465mm2. In order to provide strength against forces acting on the closure in the axial direction thebridges 11 have a depth of 0.93mm which thus enables the required cross-section area to be provided by a width of 0.50mm. The closure shown is moulded in polypropylene, but this is not essential and it is envisaged that the mould necessary to produce the above closure could be used to produce closures in various other plastics materials as well. - Although in the example shown the bridges are inclined radially outwardly in the direction of unscrewing, it will be appreciated that if the ring were axially spaced from the cap the bridges would still be inclined, but only axially. Alternatively were the ring to lie radially inwardly of the cap, the bridges would extend inclined radially inwardly in the direction of unscrewing of the cap.
Claims (4)
1. A screw-on plastics closure for a container, the closure comprising a cap (1) and, integrally joined thereto adjacent an edge thereof by means of a plurality of bridges (11), a locking ring (4) for securing to the container (8) in use to prevent unscrewing of the cap (1) from the container (8) without breaking of the bridges (11), characterized in that the bridges (11) extend from the adjacent part of the cap (l) to the ring (4) at an angle inclined in the direction of unscrewing of the cap.
2. A closure according to claim 1, wherein the ring (4) has a larger diameter than the cap (1), the bridges (11) extending radially outwardly in the direction of unscrewing (A) of the cap (1).
3. A closure according to claim 1 of claim 2, wherein the bridges (11) have a larger dimension in the axial direction of the closure than in the direction of their width.
4. A closure according to any of claims 1 to 3, which is moulded in polypropylene.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB3214278 | 1978-08-03 | ||
GB7832142 | 1978-08-03 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0008190A1 true EP0008190A1 (en) | 1980-02-20 |
Family
ID=10498838
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP79301527A Withdrawn EP0008190A1 (en) | 1978-08-03 | 1979-07-31 | Pilferproof closure |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0008190A1 (en) |
Cited By (23)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0072924A1 (en) * | 1981-07-24 | 1983-03-02 | H-C Industries, Inc. | Plastic closure with mechanical pilfer band |
US4488655A (en) * | 1982-03-15 | 1984-12-18 | Japan Crown Cork Co., Ltd. | Plastic closure for containers |
US4497765A (en) * | 1979-09-21 | 1985-02-05 | H-C Industries, Inc. | Process for making a closure |
US4545496A (en) * | 1981-07-24 | 1985-10-08 | H-C Industries, Inc. | Plastic closure with mechanical pilfer band |
FR2564803A1 (en) * | 1984-05-25 | 1985-11-29 | Plastivit Sa | Threaded plastic stopper |
FR2625479A1 (en) * | 1987-12-31 | 1989-07-07 | Astra Plastique | SCREW CAP IN SYNTHETIC MATERIAL |
US4854472A (en) * | 1988-06-10 | 1989-08-08 | Plastic Technologies, Inc. | Tamper resistant wide mouth package with dynamic seal |
US4878595A (en) * | 1988-06-09 | 1989-11-07 | Plastic Technologies, Inc. | Tamper resistant wide mouth package with labyrinth seal |
US4930647A (en) * | 1989-01-24 | 1990-06-05 | Continental Plastics, Inc. | Tamper indicating closure system utilizing axially extending ratchet |
US5115932A (en) * | 1989-12-15 | 1992-05-26 | Cebal | Sealing of containers with a screw sealing cap and a tear-off security strip |
US5318192A (en) * | 1990-07-27 | 1994-06-07 | Cebal | Assembly comprising a screw closure cap of plastic material with a guarantee strip and a receptacle, and the corresponding cap |
DE9418851U1 (en) * | 1994-11-24 | 1995-02-09 | H & K Mueller Gmbh & Co Kg | Cylindrical container with a lid |
WO1997002055A1 (en) * | 1995-07-03 | 1997-01-23 | Althin Medical Ab | A device in a powder cartridge for a dialysis machine |
WO1999062770A1 (en) * | 1998-06-03 | 1999-12-09 | Portola Packaging, Inc. | Ratchets for bottle necks |
GB2357279A (en) * | 1999-11-16 | 2001-06-20 | Merck & Co Inc | A screw-on, twist-off, tamper-evident cap that is easy to open |
NL1017634C2 (en) * | 2001-03-19 | 2002-09-20 | Airspray Nv | Combination of vessel and plastic cuff for screwing onto vessel neck, has cuff with bendable lip to prevent it from being unscrewed |
US6491175B1 (en) | 2000-06-28 | 2002-12-10 | Saad Taha | Single piece closure for a pressurized container |
US6557714B2 (en) | 2001-03-22 | 2003-05-06 | Alcoa Closure Systems International, Inc. | Tamper-evident package |
WO2008112221A1 (en) * | 2007-03-13 | 2008-09-18 | Rexam Closure Systems Inc. | Tamper-indicating closure and container |
DE102013004466A1 (en) * | 2013-02-01 | 2014-08-07 | Georg Menshen Gmbh & Co. Kg | Closure of grouting connecting element for container, has tamper portion that is inwardly projected in movement path on inside of cap so that tamper portion is abutted against driver portion and is visibly altered by driver in position |
CN111019241A (en) * | 2019-12-21 | 2020-04-17 | 山东省药用玻璃股份有限公司 | Special modified formula for plastic cap plastic of anti-theft glass bottle |
US11801977B1 (en) | 2022-12-02 | 2023-10-31 | Closure Systems International Inc. | Package with one-piece closure |
US11945625B2 (en) | 2022-06-24 | 2024-04-02 | Closure Systems International Inc. | Package with closure |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE1154369B (en) * | 1960-07-08 | 1963-09-12 | Alfred Fischbach Kunststoff Sp | Screw cap designed as an original closure |
US3259233A (en) * | 1963-09-09 | 1966-07-05 | Monsanto Co | Container closure |
FR2259025A1 (en) * | 1974-01-30 | 1975-08-22 | Hidding Walter | |
FR2298255A7 (en) * | 1975-01-20 | 1976-08-13 | Astra Plastique | Bottle or container closure - has stopper joined to mounting ring by successively breaking strips of unequal size |
-
1979
- 1979-07-31 EP EP79301527A patent/EP0008190A1/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE1154369B (en) * | 1960-07-08 | 1963-09-12 | Alfred Fischbach Kunststoff Sp | Screw cap designed as an original closure |
US3259233A (en) * | 1963-09-09 | 1966-07-05 | Monsanto Co | Container closure |
FR2259025A1 (en) * | 1974-01-30 | 1975-08-22 | Hidding Walter | |
FR2298255A7 (en) * | 1975-01-20 | 1976-08-13 | Astra Plastique | Bottle or container closure - has stopper joined to mounting ring by successively breaking strips of unequal size |
Cited By (28)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4497765A (en) * | 1979-09-21 | 1985-02-05 | H-C Industries, Inc. | Process for making a closure |
EP0072924A1 (en) * | 1981-07-24 | 1983-03-02 | H-C Industries, Inc. | Plastic closure with mechanical pilfer band |
US4545496A (en) * | 1981-07-24 | 1985-10-08 | H-C Industries, Inc. | Plastic closure with mechanical pilfer band |
US4488655A (en) * | 1982-03-15 | 1984-12-18 | Japan Crown Cork Co., Ltd. | Plastic closure for containers |
FR2564803A1 (en) * | 1984-05-25 | 1985-11-29 | Plastivit Sa | Threaded plastic stopper |
EP0379823A1 (en) * | 1987-12-31 | 1990-08-01 | ASTRA PLASTIQUE Société Anonyme de droit français | Synthetic material screw-threaded stopper |
FR2625479A1 (en) * | 1987-12-31 | 1989-07-07 | Astra Plastique | SCREW CAP IN SYNTHETIC MATERIAL |
US4878595A (en) * | 1988-06-09 | 1989-11-07 | Plastic Technologies, Inc. | Tamper resistant wide mouth package with labyrinth seal |
US4854472A (en) * | 1988-06-10 | 1989-08-08 | Plastic Technologies, Inc. | Tamper resistant wide mouth package with dynamic seal |
US4930647A (en) * | 1989-01-24 | 1990-06-05 | Continental Plastics, Inc. | Tamper indicating closure system utilizing axially extending ratchet |
US5115932A (en) * | 1989-12-15 | 1992-05-26 | Cebal | Sealing of containers with a screw sealing cap and a tear-off security strip |
US5318192A (en) * | 1990-07-27 | 1994-06-07 | Cebal | Assembly comprising a screw closure cap of plastic material with a guarantee strip and a receptacle, and the corresponding cap |
DE9418851U1 (en) * | 1994-11-24 | 1995-02-09 | H & K Mueller Gmbh & Co Kg | Cylindrical container with a lid |
US6000567A (en) * | 1995-07-03 | 1999-12-14 | Althin Medical Ab | Device in a powder cartridge for a dialysis machine |
WO1997002055A1 (en) * | 1995-07-03 | 1997-01-23 | Althin Medical Ab | A device in a powder cartridge for a dialysis machine |
WO1999062770A1 (en) * | 1998-06-03 | 1999-12-09 | Portola Packaging, Inc. | Ratchets for bottle necks |
US6044992A (en) * | 1998-06-03 | 2000-04-04 | Portola Packaging, Inc. | Ratchets for bottle necks |
GB2357279A (en) * | 1999-11-16 | 2001-06-20 | Merck & Co Inc | A screw-on, twist-off, tamper-evident cap that is easy to open |
US6491175B1 (en) | 2000-06-28 | 2002-12-10 | Saad Taha | Single piece closure for a pressurized container |
US6626310B2 (en) | 2000-06-28 | 2003-09-30 | Saad Taha | Closure with gas barrier seal for a pressurized container |
US6640988B2 (en) | 2000-06-28 | 2003-11-04 | Saad Taha | Container closure |
NL1017634C2 (en) * | 2001-03-19 | 2002-09-20 | Airspray Nv | Combination of vessel and plastic cuff for screwing onto vessel neck, has cuff with bendable lip to prevent it from being unscrewed |
US6557714B2 (en) | 2001-03-22 | 2003-05-06 | Alcoa Closure Systems International, Inc. | Tamper-evident package |
WO2008112221A1 (en) * | 2007-03-13 | 2008-09-18 | Rexam Closure Systems Inc. | Tamper-indicating closure and container |
DE102013004466A1 (en) * | 2013-02-01 | 2014-08-07 | Georg Menshen Gmbh & Co. Kg | Closure of grouting connecting element for container, has tamper portion that is inwardly projected in movement path on inside of cap so that tamper portion is abutted against driver portion and is visibly altered by driver in position |
CN111019241A (en) * | 2019-12-21 | 2020-04-17 | 山东省药用玻璃股份有限公司 | Special modified formula for plastic cap plastic of anti-theft glass bottle |
US11945625B2 (en) | 2022-06-24 | 2024-04-02 | Closure Systems International Inc. | Package with closure |
US11801977B1 (en) | 2022-12-02 | 2023-10-31 | Closure Systems International Inc. | Package with one-piece closure |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Designated state(s): AT BE CH DE FR GB IT LU NL SE |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN |
|
18D | Application deemed to be withdrawn |
Effective date: 19801128 |
|
RIN1 | Information on inventor provided before grant (corrected) |
Inventor name: DICKINS, MICHAEL CLEMENT |