EP2527266A1 - Multi-part capsule with a seal disk - Google Patents

Abstract

The cap (1) has an insert (20) including a peripheral shaping unit (27) i.e. bead, associated with an oblique compression unit (26) i.e. bead, which acts on an end edge (47) of an annular peripheral part of a seal (40) before a lower face of a head of the insert exerts axial compression on an axial compression zone (46) of the seal during depression of the cap for securing the cap with a glass ring (100). The shaping unit acts on the end edge. The compression unit acts on a part (471) of the end edge located in the vicinity of the compression zone.

Description

The invention relates to the field of capsules and more particularly screw closure capsules for closing containers, in particular glass bottles. The bottles in question contain in particular drinks, typically alcoholic beverages, such as wines, aperitifs, liqueurs or alcohols, whose consumption is typically staggered, which requires being able to close and open said bottles, possibly a large number of times. For this purpose, said bottles are provided with either a glass ring integral with an external screw thread, or an insert (generally made of plastic material) incorporating the external screw thread.

A large number of capping capsules are already known. Some of these capsules are made of plastic, as described in the European patent EP 0 107 680 . They are typically intended for capping plastic water bottles. Others, intended in particular for the capping of bottles of alcohols, aperitifs and spirits, such as that described in the French patent application FR 2 763 046 , are composite capsules which contain a plastic insert comprising an internal screw thread adapted to the thread of screwing glass rings and fixed inside a metal shell, whose cylindrical skirt does not reveal any screw thread apparent.

The patent EP 1 254 059 describes a corking cap suitable for butchering wine bottles, also without apparent threading. It comprises a capsule blank, typically a metal shell having a head and a skirt, and a plastic insert attached to said blank and having a particularly thin skirt also comprising an inner screw thread adapted to the thread of screwing glass rings. This composite capsule is delivered to bottlers who, after filling the bottle, must screw the assembly on the glass ring of the bottle and then crimp the metal shell by making a necking below the counter-ring.

Such a solution does not seem entirely satisfactory insofar as the composite capsule, as delivered to the bottlers, requires, after filling the contents of the bottle and placing the capsule on the glass ring, additional operations, such as screwing and crimping, which require the use of tools rotary easy to move on a continuous kinematic line, and therefore reduce the rates and bid the bottling process.

In his European patent application no. EP11354018 , the Applicant has proposed a snap-on composite capsule provided with an outer shell, a first insert with internal screw thread and a second insert with external screw threading, the two inserts being screwed into one another before being introduced into said outer shell. The second insert has fastening means on the glass ring so that said composite capsule can be fixed to the bottle by simply pressing on the neck of the bottle. The cylindrical skirt of the shell has an easy circumferential breaking line and, during the first opening, the top of the shell, which is integral with the first insert, is rotated while the second insert remains locked in rotation and is retained axially remaining attached to the bottom of the hull. By accentuating the rotation in the unscrewing direction, the shell is torn at the level of the easy rupture line and the composite capsule is transformed into two separable parts: an upper part acting as a screwable and screwable capsule and a lower part acting as a screw thread attached to the neck of the bottle.

Furthermore, it is important that the closure caps have a controlled seal. However, the combination of axial dimensional clearances related to the conditions of manufacture of the glass ring and axial dimensional clearances related to the manufacturing conditions of the different parts of said snap-fitting composite capsule makes the said sealing conditions difficult to meet. A first improvement has been proposed by introducing into said composite capsule an attached seal including a resilient layer thicker than the resilient layers generally used before. If this increase in thickness makes it possible to compensate for the cumulation of axial dimensional clearances related to the respective manufacturing constraints of the glass ring and of the various components of the composite capsule, there remains a difficulty in perfectly pressing said gasket on the water from the bottle.

• elle doit d'une part être suffisamment trapue, pour être capable de plaquer la partie périphérique du joint contre la périphérie du col avec un force suffisante, la force à atteindre étant d'autant plus élevée que, de par sa couche résiliente particulièrement épaisse, le joint d'étanchéité, plus rigide, se prête moins favorablement au rétreint résultant de la flexion annulaire imposée par la languette flexible circulaire;
• mais elle doit être également suffisamment élancée pour qu'elle puisse imposer à coup sûr, en fin d'enfoncement, le placage de ladite partie périphérique du joint, quelles que soient les géométries de réalisation de la bague de verrerie et des divers composants de la capsule composite.

Il peut arriver qu'un tel compromis puisse être difficile à trouver, voire impossible, selon les géométries de la bague, de la capsule et l'étanchéité recherchée.In the patent EP 1 638 853 , it is proposed a composite capsule provided with an insert whose skirt, threaded internally, is provided at the top of its inner wall with a flexible circular tongue, intended to perform a radial compression on the zone seal device so as to press it against the rim and the outer edge of the neck of the bottle. If such a solution proves satisfactory with a screw-like composite capsule geometry such as that described in FIG. EP 1 254 059 it is less reliable with a snap-on composite capsule such as that described in the European patent application no. EP11354018 because said flexible circular tongue must satisfy contradictory requirements:

• it must firstly be sufficiently squat, to be able to press the peripheral portion of the seal against the periphery of the neck with sufficient force, the force to be achieved is even higher than that, because of its particularly thick resilient layer, the seal, more rigid, lends itself less favorable to the shrinkage resulting from the annular flexion imposed by the circular flexible tongue;
• but it must also be sufficiently slender so that it can surely impose, at the end of depression, the plating of said peripheral part of the joint, whatever the geometries of realization of the glass ring and the various components of the composite capsule.

It may happen that such a compromise may be difficult to find, if not impossible, depending on the geometries of the ring, the capsule and the desired seal.

The plaintiff therefore tried to find an alternative solution to that proposed in EP 1 638 853 which is satisfactory in terms of liquid and gas tightness and that of robustness, both for snap-fitting composite capsules such as that described in the application EP11354018 only for screw-in composite capsules such as that described in the patent EP 1 254 059 .

1. i) comprenant dans sa partie supérieure une paroi cylindrique externe de diamètre De et un dessus de bague ou "buvant", ledit buvant comprenant une paroi sommitale et une paroi torique externe, de rayon R, qui sert de transition entre ladite paroi sommitale et ladite paroi cylindrique externe;
2. ii) étant solidaire d'un filet de vissage externe et
   ladite capsule composite comprenant:
   1. a) une coque, typiquement métallique et avec une jupe extérieure sensiblement cylindrique;
   2. b) un insert contenu dans ladite coque et solidarisé à ladite coque, qui comprend une tête munie d'une face inférieure, et une jupe intérieure qui est dotée d'un filet de vissage interne destiné à coopérer avec ledit filet de vissage externe;
   3. c) un joint d'étanchéité, de diamètre externe Dj supérieur à De, ayant une partie périphérique comprenant une zone de compression axiale, destinée à entrer en contact avec ladite paroi sommitale, et une bordure d'extrémité, ladite partie périphérique comprenant une couche résiliente d'épaisseur E, ladite bordure d'extrémité débordant typiquement de ladite paroi sommitale d'au moins E/2;
      et étant caractérisée en ce que:
   4. d) ledit insert comprend à la jonction entre ladite face inférieure et la face interne de ladite jupe intérieure un moyen de conformation périphérique associé à un moyen de compression oblique qui, lors de l'enfoncement en vue de solidariser ladite capsule composite avec ladite bague de verrerie, agissent sur ladite bordure d'extrémité du joint d'étanchéité avant que la face inférieure de la tête de l'insert exerce une compression axiale sur ladite zone de compression axiale dudit joint d'étanchéité, ledit moyen de conformation périphérique agissant en premier sur la bordure d'extrémité qu'il sollicite en flexion annulaire, ledit moyen de compression oblique agissant en second, de façon décalée dans le temps, en comprimant une partie de la bordure d'extrémité située au voisinage de ladite zone de compression axiale.

A first object according to the invention is a composite capsule intended to be fixed on the glass ring of a bottle and then to serve as a screw cap and unscrewable at will to close or release the dispensing orifice of said bottle,
said glass ring:

1. i) comprising in its upper part an outer cylindrical wall of diameter De and a ring top or "drinking", said rim comprising a top wall and an outer ring wall, of radius R, which serves as a transition between said top wall and said outer cylindrical wall;
2. ii) being secured to an external screw thread and
   said composite capsule comprising:
   1. a) a shell, typically metallic and with a substantially cylindrical outer skirt;
   2. b) an insert contained in said shell and secured to said shell, which comprises a head provided with a lower face, and an inner skirt which is provided with an internal screw thread intended to cooperate with said external screw thread;
   3. c) a seal, of outer diameter Dj greater than De, having a peripheral portion comprising an axial compression zone, intended to come into contact with said top wall, and an end edge, said peripheral part comprising a layer resilient thickness E, said end edge typically projecting from said top wall of at least E / 2;
      and being characterized in that:
   4. d) said insert comprises at the junction between said lower face and the inner face of said inner skirt a peripheral shaping means associated with an oblique compression means which, during driving to secure said composite capsule with said ring of glassware, act on said end edge of the seal before the lower face of the head of the insert exerts an axial compression on said axial compression zone of said seal, said peripheral conformation means acting first. on the end edge which it urges in annular bending, said oblique compression means acting second, staggered in time, compressing a portion of the end edge located in the vicinity of said axial compression zone.

By convention, we will describe the different parts of the composite capsule by supposing it placed (or ready to be placed) on the glass ring of a standing bottle. The composite capsule according to the invention is described above in the state where it is before its introduction on the glass ring of the bottle, the seal being in an uncompressed state axially. After fixing on said glass ring and first opening, a portion of this composite capsule remains integral with the glass ring and another part is like a cap screw and unscrewable at will closing or releasing the dispensing orifice of said bottle.

The glass ring is either provided with an external screw thread if it is intended to receive a screw-on composite capsule, or is equipped with fastening means for securing it to an insert provided with an external screw thread, if it is intended to receive a snap-on composite capsule. The upper part of the glass ring is provided with a transverse wall, typically perpendicular to the axis of the neck of the bottle and a substantially cylindrical outer cylindrical wall around said axis, said walls being separated by an outer ring wall, whose section is typically delimited by a quarter circle of radius R. For a particularly high level of sealing at the contact between the seal and the ring top, it is possible to use glass rings, such as those illustrated in FIG. document GME 30.06 of CETIE (International Technical Center for Bottling and Packaging), which presents the rim, which includes the top wall and most of the toric wall, whose surface has been specially treated ("sealing surface ") and a" styling "which groups together the remainder of the toric wall and a relatively short outer cylindrical surface which extends to the soft seal the. For such a type of ring, the diameter De is that of said relatively short outer cylindrical surface.

The composite capsule according to the invention comprises a shell, typically metallic and with a substantially cylindrical outer skirt. It comprises at least one insert, said insert being contained in said shell and secured to said shell. The insert comprises a head comprising a transverse wall provided with a lower face turned towards the inside of the bottle. The insert also comprises an inner skirt which is provided with an internal screw thread intended to cooperate, as soon as it is fastened to the glass ring or only after first opening, with the external screw thread integral with said glass ring. Advantageously, the insert also comprises a lower flange protruding from a diameter Dr and located at a distance from said lower face such that the assembly constitutes a housing in which said seal can be inserted and held in place.

1. a) au moins une couche externe en une matière thermoplastique adaptée au contact alimentaire et permettant de réaliser un contact étanche avec le buvant,
2. b) une couche formant barrière à l'oxygène, typiquement une couche métallique telle que de l'étain ou de l'aluminium, une couche organique telle que le chlorure de polyvinylidène, le polyéthylène téréphtalate (PET) ou encore, comme indiqué dans le brevet EP 1 765 688 B1 une couche anorganique telle que de la silice SiOx, de l'oxyde d'aluminium, du carbone ou encore une dispersion nanoparticulaire de feuillets exfoliés d'une argile du type phyllosilicate (montmorillonite, kaolinite, talc, vermiculite, pyrophyllite, etc...), ladite couche anorganique étant typiquement déposée sur une couche organique, en polyoléfine par exemple, et
3. c) une couche résiliente, typiquement une polyoléfine expansée, dont l'épaisseur E, représente la majeure partie de l'épaisseur du joint d'étanchéité, typiquement plus de 90%.

The composite capsule also comprises a seal, typically axisymmetric, of external diameter Dj, which has a peripheral portion comprising an annular axial compression zone intended to come into contact with the top wall of the ring of the bottle and a border of end that overflows from the so-called top wall when said seal is placed coaxially on the glass ring. The axial compression zone and the end edge comprise a resilient layer of thickness E, typically between 1 and 3 mm. The seal is typically obtained from an organic, plastic, metalloplastic or organo-metalloplastic multilayer structure which comprises:

1. a) at least one outer layer of a thermoplastic material adapted to the food contact and making it possible to make a tight contact with the rim,
2. b) an oxygen barrier layer, typically a metal layer such as tin or aluminum, an organic layer such as polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or, as indicated in FIG. patent EP 1 765 688 B1 an inorganic layer such as SiOx silica, aluminum oxide, carbon or a nanoparticulate dispersion of exfoliated layers of a phyllosilicate clay (montmorillonite, kaolinite, talc, vermiculite, pyrophyllite, etc.) ), said inorganic layer being typically deposited on an organic layer, polyolefin for example, and
3. c) a resilient layer, typically an expanded polyolefin, whose thickness E, represents the major part of the thickness of the seal, typically more than 90%.

The outer diameter Dj is greater than the diameter Dr of the lower rim so that once introduced into the capsule to the head of the insert, it remains trapped in the area between said head and said lower rim of the insert . Said lower flange may be either a specific internal bead, attached to the inner skirt of the insert, or, more simply, the top of the internal screw thread. Preferably, the diameter Dj is also smaller than the internal diameter of the inner skirt of the insert, so that said seal lies undeformed in its housing. The difference Dj-De is preferably greater than or equal to E so that the seam of the seal can be done correctly and less than 3E, so that the annular flexion imposed on the end edge can be done without formation of folds or detachments. More preferably, Dj and De are chosen such that 3E / 2 ≤ Dj-De ≤ 5E / 2. In the preferred mode presented in example 1, (Dj-De) is close to 2E.

When fixing said composite capsule on the glass ring, the capsule is moved towards the bottom of the bottle and then immobilized axially by compared to the glassware ring. In the case of a screw-on composite capsule, such as that described in EP 1 254 059 , the cap is screwed until the tightening torque reaches a determined value. The latter must indeed increase during screwing due to friction torque which increases with the increase of the contact surface on the net and with the increase in the effort exerted on the net, due to the reaction of the seal which is more and more compressed. Once the determined value of the tightening torque is reached, the friction on the thread is sufficient to keep the capsule immobile and integral with the neck of the bottle. The immobilization of the capsule is completed by crimping the shell under a projecting portion of the glass ring, called "counter-crimping ring" or "counter-ring". In the case of a snap-on composite capsule, such as that described in patent application no. EP11354018 , by axial translation is depressed, the composite capsule fitted around the glass ring until the capsule is trapped in a housing due to the cooperation of the latching means of the second insert and the glass ring. The hull, crimped under the lower end of the second insert before the capsule is mounted on the neck of the bottle, is found indirectly trapped on the glassware.

Whatever the type of composite capsule chosen, the geometry, the structure, or the material or materials of the various components of said capsule are such that said seal is found, at the very end of depression, during the fixing of the capsule composite on the glass ring, compressed axially between said lower face of the head of the insert and said top wall. For example, for a snap-on capsule, the axial distance between the top of the snap tongues and the underside of the head of the insert is less than the sum of the thickness of the seal and the axial distance between the face of the stop of the snap-fitting bead of the glass ring and the top wall of the rim. It is a first compression means that acts on the part of the joint that we called "axial compression zone". The value of the compression imposed at the end of depression at said axial compression zone depends on the nature of the material chosen for said resilient layer. Typically, with a resilient layer of PEE (expanded polyethylene), the compression of said axial compression zone corresponds to a decrease in thickness close to half of its value, preferably between one quarter and three quarters of said thickness. .

But the composite capsule according to the invention also comprises at least one peripheral conformation means associated with an oblique compression means, closer to the axis, which act, offset, on the end edge of the seal before said first compression means, that is to say before the lower face of the head of the insert exerts an axial compression on the axial compression zone of said seal. The Applicant is in fact part of the observation that the control of the seal necessarily passes through a regular and intimate contact at the periphery of the glass, that is to say at the outer wall of the wall and the outer cylindrical wall from the top of the glass ring. But this regular contact is not sufficiently secure with the only first compression means. As already suggested in EP 1 638 653 it must be supplemented by a radial component compression exerted on the peripheral part of the joint. The additional teaching provided by the present invention lies in the fact that the radial compression exerted by a flexible annular tongue may not be sufficient, in particular in the case of snap-on capsules, and that it is preferable to provide the capsule with means that accompany in a better controlled manner the deformation of the seal at the moment of the annular bending of its periphery until it comes into contact with the outer cylindrical wall of the upper part of the glass ring, avoiding the formation folds and detachments at said contact.

1. a) ledit moyen de conformation périphérique arrive en premier en contact avec ledit joint d'étanchéité au niveau de la périphérie de la bordure d'extrémité, l'entraîne dans son mouvement de sorte que la surface de contact s'étend progressivement de l'extérieur vers l'intérieur, et impose à ladite bordure d'extrémité une flexion annulaire qui se traduit par une déformation complexe associant rétreint, allongement dans le sens initialement radial, contraction dans le sens circonférentiel et amincissement dans l'épaisseur. La géométrie dudit moyen de conformation est telle que, au cours de l'enfoncement de la capsule, la bordure d'extrémité du joint d'étanchéité finit par se plaquer en fin d'enfoncement sur la surface cylindrique externe de la partie haute de la bague de verrerie.
2. b) ledit moyen de compression oblique arrive en second en contact avec ledit joint d'étanchéité, au niveau de la bordure d'extrémité mais à proximité de la zone de compression axiale, alors que la bordure d'extrémité est déjà fléchie annulairement, donc rétreinte. Ce moyen de compression oblique piège cette partie de la bordure d'extrémité qui est proche de la zone de compression axiale et lui impose un "pincement" qui, à ce niveau du joint épais, diminue le risque de déformation instable et de formation de plis et/ou de décollements. L'effort exercé par ce moyen de compression oblique peut compléter la sollicitation en flexion annulaire exercée par le moyen de conformation jusqu'à ce que le joint arrive au contact de la bague de verrerie au "droit" dudit moyen de compression oblique, c'est-à-dire au niveau de la normale à la paroi torique externe passant par ledit moyen de compression oblique. Lorsque le contact est établi, ledit moyen de compression oblique exerce une compression dans l'épaisseur du joint d'étanchéité.
3. c) la tête de l'insert, par le biais de sa face inférieure, arrive en dernier lieu au contact du joint d'étanchéité et comprime axialement la zone de compression axiale de ce dernier au niveau de la paroi sommitale.

When fixing the composite cap on the glass ring, whether it is done by screwing or snapping, the composite capsule must follow a recess movement that brings it closer to the bottle. During this depressing movement:

1. a) said peripheral conformation means first comes into contact with said seal at the periphery of the end edge, drives it in its movement so that the contact surface progressively extends from the external to the inside, and imposes on said end edge an annular bending which results in a complex deformation combining narrowing, elongation in the direction initially radial, contraction in the circumferential direction and thinning in the thickness. The geometry of said shaping means is such that, during the sinking of the capsule, the end edge of the seal ends with flatten at the end of depression on the outer cylindrical surface of the upper part of the glass ring.
2. b) said oblique compression means comes in second contact with said seal, at the end edge but near the axial compression zone, while the end edge is already flexed annularly, so necking. This oblique compression means traps that part of the end edge which is close to the axial compression zone and imposes on it a "pinch" which, at this level of the thick seal, reduces the risk of unstable deformation and fold formation. and / or detachments. The force exerted by this oblique compression means can complete the annular bending stress exerted by the shaping means until the seal comes into contact with the glass ring at the "right" of said oblique compression means, c ' that is, at the normal to the outer ring wall passing through said oblique compression means. When the contact is established, said oblique compression means compresses the thickness of the seal.
3. c) the head of the insert, through its lower face, comes last in contact with the seal and axially compresses the axial compression zone of the latter at the level of the top wall.

Advantageously, said means for peripheral conformation and oblique compression of the seal which act during the insertion of the composite capsule on the glass ring are two annular beads separated from one another by an annular cavity and located at the junction between the lower face and the inner insert skirt. The first annular bead, partially attached to the inner wall of the inner skirt of the insert, is the peripheral conformation means. It captures, drives and narrows the end edge of the seal. At the end of depression, it exerts a stress having a small axial component and a strong radial component which plates the seal against the outer surface of the upper part of the glass ring. The second bead, less peripheral than the first, is the means of oblique compression. It comes into contact with the seal after the first bead and exerts on the part of the end edge which is situated in the vicinity of the axial compression zone an oblique stress which plates said part on said outer ring wall. The lower face of the head of the insert plays a final role of plating the seal on the rim.

• d1) un premier bourrelet annulaire dont le sommet est situé sur un diamètre D1 supérieur à De et inférieur à Dj, typiquement compris entre De+E/2 et De + 2E, de préférence voisin de De+E, et se trouve à une distance H1 de ladite face inférieure, H1 étant supérieure à E/2, typiquement comprise entre E/2 et 2E, de préférence voisine de E;
• d2) un deuxième bourrelet annulaire dont le sommet est situé sur un diamètre D2 compris entre De — 2R et De + 2R, de préférence voisin de De, et se trouve à une distance H2 de ladite face inférieure, H2 étant inférieure à E/2, typiquement comprise entre E/8 et E/2, de préférence voisine de E/4;

Advantageously, the said peripheral conformation and oblique compression means are respectively:

• d1) a first annular bead whose apex is situated on a diameter D1 greater than De and less than Dj, typically between De + E / 2 and De + 2E, preferably close to De + E, and is at a distance H1 of said lower face, H1 being greater than E / 2, typically between E / 2 and 2E, preferably close to E;
• d2) a second annular bead whose apex is situated on a diameter D2 between De-2R and De + 2R, preferably close to De, and is at a distance H2 from said lower face, H2 being less than E / 2 typically between E / 8 and E / 2, preferably close to E / 4;

The first annular bead has a top located on a diameter D1 greater than the diameter De of the outer wall but smaller than the diameter Dj of the seal. It is also at a distance H1 from the lower face of the head of the insert, which is greater than E / 2. In this way, when fixing the composite capsule on the neck of the bottle, whether it is by screwing or by simple translation (snapping), said first bead necessarily comes into contact with the end edge and causes the downward by imposing a narrowing on the periphery of the joint. If H1 is significantly greater than E / 2, the first bead continues to drive the end edge by plating it to the outer cylindrical wall of the glass ring. Preferably, H1 is between E / 2 and 2E. If it is greater than 2E, the stresses necessary for the formation of the narrowing of the periphery of the joint become important and one risks the formation of folds and / or detachments which make lose all tightness. If it is noticeably less than E / 2, the veneer against the outer wall of the glass ring may be incomplete. Of course, these limit values are approximate, they depend on the nature, the thickness and the mechanical behavior of the resilient layer. Preferably, with a resilient layer of expanded polyethylene with a thickness typically of between 1.5 and 2.5 mm, H1 will be aimed at close to E.

The second annular bead is less peripheral than the first. Its top is located on a diameter D2 close to the diameter De of the outer cylindrical wall of the upper part of the glass ring (styling for example), D2 being typically between De-2R and De + 2R, where R is the radius of the leave of the outer ring wall. Preferably, D2 is close to De, very slightly lower. The top of the second bead is at a distance H2 from the lower face of the head of the insert, H2 being a non-zero value, typically less than E / 2. Preferably, H2 is between E / 8 and E / 2. If it is greater than E / 2, the second bead may act too rapidly with prematurely large axial compression in the vicinity of the axial compression zone and this may increase the risk of damage to the end edge of the bead. joined by excessive stretching. If it is less than E / 8, the axial compression is low, so that the plating of the seal on the rim may not be complete, especially at the outer wall wall. Of course, these limit values are approximate, they depend on the nature and the mechanical behavior of the resilient layer. Preferably, with a resilient layer made of expanded polyethylene having a thickness typically of between 1.5 and 2.5 mm, H 2 will be compared with E / 4.

The annular beads are attached to the insert in the transition zone between the head and the inner skirt. As this transition zone is not rectilinear, the notion of vertex can be difficult to define: by convention, it is the point of the internal face of the insert which is at the maximum distance of the theoretical contour of this internal face if it was free of beads, the distance being measured on a line parallel to the bisector of the angle formed between the head and the inner skirt, that is to say, in general, a straight line inclined at 45 ° . If the head and the inner skirt have the same thickness, said theoretical contour is deduced by offset from that of the outer face of the insert. If the thicknesses are different, said theoretical contour is deduced from that of the external face of the insert by applying at each point of the latter, on the normal passing through this point, a linearly interpolated thickness as a function of the curvilinear abscissa on said contour of the outer face.

Advantageously, the first annular bead has, above its top, a low slope profile in which the thickness of the bead varies slightly, typically less than 30%, so as to have a contact surface that accompanies the end edge during its annular bending. The low slope allows the formation of a progressive shrinkage while avoiding to pinch too abruptly said end edge. Advantageously, the contact of the first bead with said seal is over a significant length, of the order of E / 2, in the area corresponding to the low slope profile.

Preferably, said first annular bead has a first substantially horizontal wall located at the distance H1 from the lower face of the head of the insert, a second substantially cylindrical wall around the longitudinal axis, extending over a diameter D3. , less than D1 to a level H3 and a third frustoconical wall, extending between the levels H1 and H3 and serving as a transition between the first wall, where it has a diameter D1 at the level H1 and the second wall, where it has a diameter D3 at the level H3. Preferably, this third wall is slightly inclined relative to the longitudinal axis, typically forming an angle of less than 30 °, preferably less than 15 °, with respect to said longitudinal axis and it extends over a height H1-H3 typically greater than E / 4, preferably close to E / 2.

The second annular bead has a substantially horizontal wall distant from H2 of the lower face of the head of the insert and a substantially cylindrical wall of diameter D2, extending between said lower face and said substantially horizontal wall.

The two annular beads are separated from each other so that the first bead can act on the end edge during most of the insertion of the insert towards the bottom of the bottle without that the second bead retains said seal, thus avoiding unintentionally stretching said end edge of the seal.

The cavity separating the first bead and the second bead is delimited by the substantially cylindrical wall of diameter D3 of the first bead which extends between the levels H2 and H3 and the substantially horizontal wall of the second bead. So that the separation between the beads allows an action of the second bead sufficiently offset in time from that of the first bead, H 2 and H 3 will preferably be chosen so that H 3 -H 2 is close to or greater than E / 4.

The present invention has compared to that described in the patent EP 1 638 853 not only the advantage of better sealing the liquids and gases regardless of the dimensions of the glass ring, the capsule and the desired sealing but also to provide a means acting on the seal more robust, less fragile than a flexible annular tongue.

Another object according to the invention is a bottle intended for staggered consumption of beverages, typically alcoholic beverages such as wines, aperitifs, liqueurs and alcohols, characterized in that it is provided with a composite capsule according to invention.

The figure 1 illustrates diametrical half-sections of a first embodiment, corresponding to a snap-on composite capsule. To the left ( figure 1a ), the composite capsule is shown before being attached to the glass ring of the bottle. To the right ( figure 1b ), the composite capsule is shown after its attachment to the glass ring of the bottle.

The figure 2 illustrates a diametrical half-section of a second embodiment, corresponding to a screwable composite capsule. This is shown after its attachment to the glass ring of the bottle.

The figure 3 illustrates, in diametrical half-section, the detail of a composite capsule according to the invention in the vicinity of the connection between the head and the insert inner skirt.

PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION EXAMPLE 1 (FIGS. 1a, 1b and 3)

• une coque (10) avec une jupe (11) métallique cylindrique munie d'un bourrelet annulaire interne (12);
• un premier insert (20), disposé à l'intérieur de ladite coque, muni d'un filet de vissage intérieur (22),
• un deuxième insert (30) présentant deux portions globalement cylindriques, la première portion (31) étant munie d'un filet de vissage (311) complémentaire de celui dudit premier insert. La deuxième portion est munie de moyens d'immobilisation axiale destinés à coopérer avec le bourrelet annulaire (101) de bague de verrerie. La jupe (11) de la coque (10) comprend un bourrelet annulaire interne (12) qui forme butée au bord inférieur (322) du deuxième insert, de telle sorte que les inserts solidarisés par vissage se trouvent piégés à l'intérieur de ladite coque.

The Figures 1a and 1b illustrate a first embodiment dedicated to the corking of wine bottles, wherein the composite capsule (1) is snapped onto the ring of glassware (100) of the bottle. The composite capsule (1) is a snap-on cap described elsewhere in European Patent Application No. EP11354018 . She understands:

• a shell (10) with a cylindrical metal skirt (11) provided with an inner annular bead (12);
• a first insert (20), disposed inside said shell, provided with an internal screw thread (22),
• a second insert (30) having two generally cylindrical portions, the first portion (31) being provided with a screw thread (311) complementary to that of said first insert. The second portion is provided with axial immobilization means for cooperating with the annular bead (101) of the glass ring. The skirt (11) of the shell (10) comprises an internal annular bead (12) which forms a stop at the lower edge (322) of the second insert, so that the inserts secured by screwing are trapped inside said shell.

The glass ring comprises in its upper part an outer cylindrical wall (123) of diameter De and a rim (120) comprising a top wall (121) and an outer toric wall (122), of radius R, which serves as a transition between said top wall and said outer cylindrical wall. Through the first portion (31) of the second insert, the glass ring is secured to an external screw thread (311). It is also provided with an annular rim (101) which is intended to collaborate with the ends (329) of the annular blades (328) of the second insert (32) for fixing the capsule on the neck of the bottle and having an abutment face (104) at a distance Hb from the top wall (121). The axial distance between the ends (329) of the annular blades (328) and the underside (23) of the head of the insert is less than (Hb + E). It is typically close to (Hb + E / 2), so that, at the end of depression, said seal is compressed by about 50% in the axial compression zone.

The first insert (20) is contained in the shell (10) and secured to said shell. It comprises a head provided with a lower face (23), and an inner skirt (21) which is provided with an internal screw thread (22) intended to cooperate with the external thread (311) and which is secured to through the first portion (31) of the second insert (30) of a lower flange (312) projecting from a diameter Dr.

The composite capsule comprises a seal (40), of outer diameter Dj greater than De and Dr, which has a peripheral portion with an axial compression zone (46), intended to come into contact with the top wall (121). ) and an end edge (47). The seal comprises an expanded polyethylene layer having a thickness E = 2.5 mm between two coextruded films approximately 75 micrometers thick and comprising a layer of polyvinylidene chloride between two layers of low density polyethylene. Such a seal, if it is well plated on the upper part of the glass ring, seals the liquid and a controlled gas permeability.

The end edge of the seal overflows here from the top wall (121) of E approximately. The outer diameter Dj is greater than the diameter Dr of the lower rim (312) so that once introduced into the capsule to the head of the insert, it remains trapped in the area between said head and said lower rim. The diameter Dj is smaller than the internal diameter of the inner skirt of the insert, so that said seal lies undeformed in its housing.

The first insert (20) comprises at the junction between the lower face (23) and the inner face of the inner skirt (21) a peripheral conformation means (27) associated with an oblique compression means (26) which, when the recess for securing the composite capsule with the glass ring, act on the end edge (47) of the seal before the lower face (23) of the head of the insert exerts an axial compression in the thickness of the axial compression zone (46) of said seal.

The peripheral conformation means (27) is a first annular bead (270), partially attached to the inner wall of the inner skirt (21) of the insert. It plays a role of capturing, driving and shrinking the end edge (47) of the seal (40). At the end of depression, it exerts a constraint having a small axial component and a strong radial component which plates the seal against the outer cylindrical surface (123) of the upper part of the glass ring.

The oblique compression means (26) is a second bead (260) which comes into contact with the seal after the first bead and exerts on the portion (471) of the end edge (47) which is located in the vicinity in the axial compression zone (46) an oblique stress which plates said part (471) on the outer wall (122). The lower face (23) of the head of the insert plays a final role of plating the seal on the top wall (121).

The first annular bead (270) has an apex (271) located on a diameter D1 greater than De and less than Dj, substantially equal to De + E, and which is at a distance H1 substantially equal to E of the lower face ( 23). The second annular bead (260) has an apex (261) located on a diameter D2 close to De, and which is at a distance H2 close to E / 4 of said lower face.

The first annular bead (270) has a substantially horizontal wall remote from H1 of the lower face of the head of the insert, a substantially cylindrical wall of diameter D3, with D3 close to D1-E / 4, extending between remote levels respectively of H2 neighboring E / 4 and H3 neighbor of E / 2 of the lower face (23), and a frustoconical coaxial transition wall, extending between the levels H3 and H1 with a linearly evolving diameter of D3 at D1 (from the slope break (273) to the top (271). The slope of the bead with respect to the axis, equal to (D1-D3) / 2 (H1-H3) is equal to 25%, which corresponds to about 14 ° of inclination with respect to said axis.

We can see figure 3 how the "height" of the beads can be evaluated. The vertex is here the point of the inner face of the insert which is at the maximum distance of the theoretical contour (29t) of this inner face if it was free of beads, the distance being measured on a straight line parallel to the bisector of the angle formed between the head and the inner skirt. Here, the head and the inner skirt (21) have the same thickness and the theoretical contour (29t) is deduced by offset of the contour (29e) of the outer face of the insert. The second bead (260) has a vertex (261) of "height" h2. The first bead (270) has a vertex (271) of "height" h1. The first bead (270) has a slight slope above its vertex (271) to the point (273) of "height" h3. The relative variation (h1-h3) / h1 is less than 30%.

EXAMPLE 2 (Figures 2 and 3)

The figure 2 illustrates a second embodiment dedicated to the corking of wine bottles, wherein the composite capsule (1 ') must be screwed onto the glass ring (100') of the bottle to be fixed on it after filling of its contents.

The glass ring comprises in its upper part an outer cylindrical wall (123 ') of diameter De and a rim (120') comprising a top wall (121 ') and an outer toric wall (122'), of radius R, which serves as a transition between said top wall and said outer cylindrical wall.

The composite capsule (1 ') comprises a shell (10') with a cylindrical metal skirt (11 ') and an insert (20') disposed inside said shell, the inner skirt (21 ') of which is provided an internal screw thread (22 '). The geometry, the structure, the materials of the various components of this capsule are such that the axial compression zone (46) of the seal (40) is found, at the end of screwing during the fixing of the composite capsule on said glass ring, axially compressed approximately 50% in the axial compression zone (46). Fixing said capsule is completed by crimping the skirt (11 ') of the shell (10') under the counter-ring (103 ').

The insert (20 ') is contained in the shell (10') and secured to said shell. It comprises a head provided with a lower face (23 '), and an inner skirt (21) which is provided with an internal screw thread (22') intended to cooperate with the external screw thread (130 ') of the glass ring.

The seal (40) is similar to the seal described in the first example.

The insert (20 ') comprises at the junction between the lower face (23') and the inner face of the inner skirt (21 ') a peripheral conformation means (27') associated with an oblique compression means (26 '). ) which, during insertion to secure the composite capsule with the glass ring, act on the end edge (47) of the seal before the lower face (23 ') of the head of the insert exerts axial compression in the thickness of the axial compression zone (46) of said seal. The peripheral conformation means (27 ') and the compression means oblique (26 ') are annular beads of shapes and positions similar to the annular beads of Example 1.

Claims (11)

Composite capsule (1,1 ') intended to be fixed on the glass ring (100,100') of a bottle and then to serve as a screw cap and screwed at will to seal or release the dispensing orifice (110) of said bottle said glass ring i) comprising in its upper part an outer cylindrical wall (123, 123 ') of diameter De and a ring or drinking top (120, 120'), said rim comprising a top wall (121, 121 ') and an outer ring wall ( 122, 122 '), of radius R, which serves as a transition between said top wall and said outer cylindrical wall; ii) being secured to an external screw thread (311, 130 ') and said composite capsule comprising: a) a hull (10, 10 '); b) an insert (20,20 ') contained in said shell and secured to said shell, comprising a head provided with a lower face (23,23') and an inner skirt (21,21 ') which is provided with an internal screw thread (22, 22 ') intended to cooperate with said external screw thread; c) a seal (40) having an outer diameter d 1 greater than d 1 having an annular peripheral portion comprising an axial compression zone (46) intended to come into contact with said rim, and an end rim ( 47) projecting from said top wall, said peripheral portion comprising a resilient layer of thickness E,
and being characterized in that : d) said insert comprises, at the junction between said lower face and the inner face of said inner skirt, a peripheral shaping means (26) associated with an oblique compression means (27) which, when driving in order to to secure said composite capsule with said glass ring, act on said end edge before the lower face of the head of the insert exerts an axial compression on said axial compression zone, said conformation means acting first on said end edge urges it into annular bending, said oblique compression means acting secondly on a portion (471) of said end edge located in the vicinity of said axial compression zone. Composite capsule according to claim 1, characterized in that the diameter Dj of said seal is such that E ≤ (Dj-De) ≤ 3E, preferably 3E / 2 ≤ (Dj-De) ≤5E / 2. Capsule according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that said insert is provided with a lower rim (312, 220 ') projecting from a diameter Dr and located at a distance from said lower face such that the together constitutes a housing wherein said seal can be inserted and held in place. Composite capsule according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that : d1) said peripheral conformation means is a first annular bead (270,270 ') whose vertex (271,271') is situated on a diameter D1 greater than De and less than Dj and is at a distance H1 from said lower face, H1 being greater than E / 2; d2) said oblique compression means is a second annular bead (260,260 ') whose apex (261,261') is located on a diameter D2 between De-2R and De + 2R and is at a distance H2 from said lower face, H2 being less than E / 2;
said first annular bead and second annular bead being separated by an annular cavity (28, 28 '). Capsule according to claim 4, characterized in that the top of said first annular bead is located on a diameter D1 between De + E / 2 and De + 2E, preferably close to De + E, and is at a distance H1 of said lower face lying between E / 2 and 2E, preferably close to E. Capsule according to any one of claims 4 to 5, characterized in that the top of said second annular bead is located on a diameter D2 close to De, and is at a distance H2 from said lower face between E / 8 and E / 2, preferably close to E / 4. Capsule according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein said first annular bead has, above its top, a low slope profile in which the thickness of the bead varies by less than 30%, so as to have a contact surface that accompanies the end edge during its annular bending. Capsule according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein said first annular bead has a first substantially horizontal wall, located at said distance H1 axial immobilization means of said composite capsule, a second substantially cylindrical wall around the longitudinal axis (500), extending over a diameter D3 less than D1 between the levels H3, where H3 is greater than H2, and H1 and a third wall serving as a transition between the first wall and the second wall, D3 and H3 having were chosen so that said third wall is slightly inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis, typically making an angle less than 30 °, with respect to said longitudinal axis and extending over a height typically greater than E / 4, preferably close to E / 2. Capsule according to any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein said second annular bead has a first substantially horizontal wall, located at said distance H2 of the axial immobilization means of said composite capsule and a second substantially cylindrical wall around the longitudinal axis (500) extending over said diameter D2 The capsule of any one of claims 4 to 9, wherein H3-H2 is close to or greater than E / 4. Bottle for the staged consumption of beverages, typically alcoholic beverages such as wines, aperitifs, liqueurs and alcohols, characterized in that it is provided with a composite capsule according to any one of claims 1 to 10 .

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