STOPPER FOR A CONTAINER

Abstract

A stopper for a container with a lid with a peripheral wall, which engages around the neck of the container and integrally formed on whose lower edge there is a peripheral security ring, which may be torn off, for tamper-evident security with inwardly directed locking formations, which, in the fastened position of the stopper, engage beneath an outwardly directed annular projection on the container, and with an olive provided with an outer, peripheral annular bead for gripping engagement in the container opening includes a circular, concentric recessed channel in the lid, which has a radially outer annular wall and a radially inner annular wall, which are connected together by a base wall, that the radially outward annular wall defines the olive and that formed directly above the locking formations there are openings, which pass through the security ring and which extend on both sides beyond the locking formations.

Claims

1. A stopper for a container with a lid with a peripheral wall, which engages around the neck of the container and integrally formed on whose lower edge there is a peripheral security ring, which may be torn off, for tamper-evident security of the contents of the container with inwardly directed locking formations, which, in the fastened position of the stopper, engage beneath an outwardly directed annular projection on the container, and with an olive, which is provided with an outer peripheral annular bead, for gripping engagement in the container opening, the stopper comprising a circular, concentric recessed channel in the lid, which has a radially outer annular wall and a radially inner annular wall, which are connected together by a base wall, that the recessed channel is integrally formed on the central circular lid region and the outer annular lid region, that the radially outer annular wall defines the olive and that the upper side of the annular lid region is provided with at least one upwardly projecting rib.

2. A stopper as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radially inner annular wall is extended beyond the base wall and defines the peripheral wall of a desiccant chamber.

3. A stopper as claimed in claim 1, wherein a lower end region of the olive is bevelled linearly.

4. A stopper as claimed in claim 1, wherein the olive has a ribbed wall surface on its inner side, which is defined by a plurality of grooves in the wall of the olive extending in the longitudinal direction of the olive.

5. A stopper as claimed in claim 4, wherein the grooves have a generally constant depth of 10% to 50% of the minimum wall thickness of the olive.

6. A stopper as claimed in claim 4, wherein the webs between the grooves have a domed cross-sectional shape.

7. A stopper as claimed in claim 1, wherein a spiral retaining device is integrally formed on the base wall of the recessed channel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a partly cutaway embodiment of the invention;

[0022] FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the invention, reinforced by webs;

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a comparison of a conventional stopper in the left-hand side of the figure, and a stopper in accordance with the invention in the right-hand half of the figure and;

[0024] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the stopper in accordance with the invention shown in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the stopper in accordance with the invention, formed in the circular lid of which there is a concentric recessed channel 1, which includes a radially outer annular wall 2, a base wall 3 and an inner annular wall 4. The recessed channel 1 has a U-shape in cross-section and is integrally formed on a central, circular lid region 5 and an outer, annular lid region 6. The radially inner annular wall 4 is extended beyond the base wall 3 and defines together with the annular wall 4 the peripheral wall 7 of a desiccant chamber.

[0026] Connected to the annular lid region 6 there is a peripheral wall 8, which is bent away at right angles and integrally formed on whose lower edge there is a security ring 9, which may be torn away, for tamper-evident security of the contents of the container, which is connected with inwardly directed locking formations 10. Situated above the locking formations 10 there are openings 11 which pass through the security ring 9.

[0027] The radially outer annular wall 2 of the recess channel 1 is constructed as an olive in that it is provided with an outer, circumferential annular bead 12 for gripping engagement in the opening of a container, which is not shown. The lower end region 13 of the olive extends linearly obliquely inwardly.

[0028] A spiral retainer 14 is formed integrally with its elastic spiral-shaped webs 15 on the base wall 3 of the recess channel 1.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows a stopper which is identical except webs 7, 8 extending in the radial direction are formed on the upper side of the central lid region 5 and on the upper side of the annular lid region 6, which increase the stiffness of the two lid regions. The protruding webs 7 and 8 are in each case uniformly spaced from one another and distributed over the entire periphery of the lid region 5, 6.

[0030] FIG. 3 shows a combination of a conventional stopper 16 in the left-hand half of the figure and the stopper 17 in accordance with the invention in the right-hand half of the figure. It may be seen from this comparison that the olive 2 is considerably shorter in the stopper 17 in accordance with the invention than the olive 18 of the conventional stopper 16, which is possible due to the fact that the olive 2 is held and braced by the base wall 3. As a result of this bracing, the olive 2 develops the same pressure as the longer olive 18, whereby additionally the levering away from a container is considerably facilitated due to the shorter dimension. As can be further seen in FIG. 4, the oblique surface 13 at the lower end of the olive 2 also contributes to this. Formed on the upper side of the annular lid region 6 is an annular rib 19.

[0031] Ribbing can be formed on the radially inner surface of the olive 2. This ribbing, which consists of grooves situated closely together and projections between them of rounded cross-section, facilitates the levering away of the stopper in accordance with the invention, whereby at the same time the pressure of the olive necessary for the sealing of the contents of the container is maintained.