Closure

Abstract

A closure comprising a base body with a circumferential recess foreseen to receive a tamper band connected to a top cover. The circumferential recess comprises at least one circumferential protrusion extending in a radial direction into the recess which comprises at least one pillar extending in the radial direction into the recess, tamper band comprises at least one circumferential undercut foreseen to interact in a mounted position with the circumferential protrusion of the circumferential recess. The tamper band comprises at least one notch foreseen to receive at least one pillar arranged in the circumferential recess.

Claims

1. A closure for a liquid container comprising a) a base body with a circumferential recess arranged concentric to a closure axis (z) extending in the direction of the closure axis (z) and foreseen to receive a first tamper band interconnected by at least one tamper evident means to a top cover to cover an opening arranged at the base body, wherein b) the circumferential recess comprises a first side surface and a thereto spaced apart second side surface, wherein the first side surface comprises at least one circumferential protrusion extending in a radial direction into the recess and the opposite second side surface comprises at least one pillar extending in the radial direction in the recess wherein c) the first tamper band comprises a first side surface and a second side surface arranged opposite to the first side surface, wherein the first side surface of the first tamper band comprises at least one circumferential undercut foreseen to interact in a mounted position with the circumferential protrusion arranged at the first side surface of the circumferential recess, and the second side surface of the first tamper band comprises at least one notch extending in the direction of the closure axis and foreseen to receive at least one pillar arranged at the second side surface of the circumferential recess, wherein the first side surfaces are arranged with respect to the closure axis radially inside with respect to the second side surfaces, and wherein the at least one notch of the first tamper band is arranged with respect to the at least one pillar of the circumferential recess such that during assembly in the direction of the closure axis a lower end of the first tamper band enters the circumferential recess before the at least one pillar interacts with the at least one notch.

2. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the circumferential undercut of the first tamper band is arranged with respect to the circumferential protrusion of the circumferential recess such that during assembly in the direction of the closure axis a lower end of the first tamper band enters the circumferential recess before the circumferential protrusion interacts with the circumferential undercut.

3. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the circumferential protrusion and the circumferential undercut and the at least one notch and the at least one pillar are arranged such that during assembly the circumferential protrusion interacts with the circumferential undercut after the at least one notch interacts with the at least one pillar.

4. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the at least one notch comprises at least one lead in surface to, during assembly, guide a thereto related pillar into the notch.

5. The closure according to claim 4, wherein during the assembly of the top cover and the base body, the at least one pillar first engages with the at least one lead in surface of the at least one notch of tamper band before the circumferential undercut of the top cover interacts with the circumferential protrusion of the base body.

6. The closure according to claim 1, wherein at least two notches are present, which are arranged evenly distributed circumferentially on the first tamper band.

7. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the first tamper band comprises at least one recessed section without any notch.

8. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the side surface of the circumferential recess arranged radially outside comprises a drainage hole through which excess liquid may be drained.

9. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the side surface of the circumferential recess arranged radially outside is defined by a circumferential bead protruding in the axial direction above a top deck of the base body.

10. The closure according to claim 9, wherein the circumferential bead is segmented.

11. The closure according to claim 1, wherein in axial direction below the circumferential recess a bore seal is arranged on the inside of the base body.

12. The closure according to claim 1, wherein a sealing means is arranged on the inside of the closure essentially below the circumferential recess.

13. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the first tamper band is connected to the top cover by tearable bridges and/or a tearable thin web of material forming a guarantee seal.

14. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the top cover is interconnected to the first tamper band by a hinge.

15. The closure according to claim 14, wherein the hinge is a snap hinge providing a closed and an open position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The herein described invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings, which should not be considered limiting to the invention described in the appended claims. The drawings are showing:

(2) FIG. 1 A preferred variation of a closure according to the invention in a perspective view;

(3) FIG. 2 the preferred variation of the closure according to the invention in a top view without a top cover;

(4) FIG. 3 a perspective, partly sectionized view of the closure according to FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 the closure according to FIG. 1 in a side view partly disassembled;

(6) FIG. 5 a sectionized side view of the closure with top cover 2 according to FIG. 1;

(7) FIG. 6 detail D according to FIG. 5;

(8) FIG. 7 the preferred variation of the top cover according to the invention in a bottom view.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

(9) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a closure 1 according to the invention in a perspective view. FIG. 2 shows the same closure 1 in a top view without a top cover 2. FIG. 3 further illustrates the same variation of closure of FIG. 1 in a perspective, partly sectionized view and FIG. 4 illustrates the embodiment with the top cover partly disassembled. FIG. 5 shows a section view of the closure with top cover 2 according to FIG. 1 with certain details further outlined in FIG. 6.

(10) As it can be seen in FIG. 1, the closure 1 according to the shown variation of the invention comprises an essential circular top cover 2 which is fixed on a base body 3 covering an opening 4. A first tamper band 5 is interconnected to the lower end of the top cover 2 for an attachment to the base body 3. Furthermore, a second temper band 6 is attached to the lower end of the base body 3 to attach the closure 1 to a bottle neck (not shown here).

(11) The top view of FIG. 2 further depict the opening 4 which is designed as a valve 40. The valve 40 is not part of the invention and may be replaced by another geometry of the opening 4. In this case nine openings 4 are present on top of the valve 40. The valve 40 can be moved from a closed to an open position. In the open position the valve 40 is vertically displaced (in positive z-direction away from the base body) so that the valve 40 has a greater distance to the lower end of the base body 3. In that position, a passage of the liquid contained in the bottle (not shown here) attached to the base body 3 is created in order for a person to drink from said bottle through the continuous holes.

(12) As it can be seen in FIG. 2 and the sectionized perspective view of FIG. 3, the base body 3 has a circumferential recess 7 that is formed by a circumferential bead 16 and that is having a first 8 and a second side surface 9. Within the circumferential recess 7 multiple pillars 12 are placed to fixate the first tamper band 5 of the top cover 2 on the base body 3 extending from the second side surface 9 in radial direction into the circumferential recess 7. In the shown variation the pillars 12 radially extend from the outer side surface 9, but leaving a remaining space to the thereto spaced apart first side 8. In this variation eight pillars 12 are evenly spaced over the circumference of the base body 3, however, other numbers or distributions are possible. Two neighboring pillars 12 have a central angle of the essential circular base body 3. In the case of eight pillars 12, the angle =45. Furthermore, a circumferential bead 16 may be present over the hole circumferential of the base body 3 or, as illustrated in this variation, the bead 16 may be interrupted and divided into multiple parts (here 2 parts shown; however any other number may be chosen).

(13) The first tamper band 5 comprises a first side surface 14 and a second side surface 15 arranged opposite to the first side surface 14. In the preferred variation, the first tamper band 5 comprises two recessed sections 21 without notches. It can further be seen, that the first tamper band 5 has preferably a smaller diameter than the second tamper band 6. As it can be seen also be seen in FIG. 4 and FIG. 7, the first tamper band 5 comprises notches 13 on the outside of the essential circular first tamper band. In this variation of the invention, the notches 13 are only located partly over the circumference within two circular arc segments with a central angle of the essential circular top cover 2 whereby the angle is larger than the angle between each pillar 12. Hence, two recessed sections 21 without any notches 13 are present. In the shown variation, the notches 13 comprise two inclined lead in surfaces 20 to, during assembly, guide a thereto related pillar 12 into the notch 13. The two inclined lead in surfaces 17 and 20 form a funnel shaped lead in entry for each notch 13, with the two lead in surfaces 17 and 20 inclined in opposite directions.

(14) The set-up of notches 13 and corresponding pillars 12 according to the invention enables an interconnection of the pillar 12 to the notches 13 independent of the rotational displacement between the top cover 2 and the base body 3, if the two parts are concentrically orientated with respect to each other and providing a minimal adjustment rotation, for the pillar 12 to slit into within the notch 13 guided by the lead in surfaces 17 and 20 of the notches 13.

(15) The first tamper band 5 is further interconnected to the top cover 2 by tearable bridges 23 which may be integrally formed when making of the top cover 2 of the closure 1. The tearable bridges 23 are preferably pyramidal shaped with a tip arranged in the positive z-direction. Depending on the field of application and the performance of the closure alternatively the tearable bridges can be made by a scoring process.

(16) The second tamper band 6 also features tearable bridges 23 which may integrally be formed when making of the base body 3 of the closure 1. The second tamper band 6 comprises on the inside radial inwardly directed protrusions 24 which are foreseen to latch with a corresponding bead (not shown in detail) on the neck finish.

(17) FIG. 5 depict the same embodiment of the closure with the top cover 2 attached in a sectionized view and FIG. 6 depict details of the sealing and the first tamper band 5.

(18) It can be seen, that the first tamper band 5 comprises a first side surface 14 and a second side surface 15 arranged opposite to the first side surface 14, wherein the first side surface 14 of the first tamper band 5 comprises at least one circumferential undercut 11 foreseen to interact in a mounted position with the circumferential protrusion 10 arranged at the first side surface 8 of the circumferential recess 7. The notches 13 orientated on the second side surface 9 of the first tamper band 5 extend in the direction of the closure axis 18 (z direction) and are foreseen to receive at least one pillar 12 arranged at the second side surface 9 of the circumferential recess 7.

(19) During insertion of the first tamper band 5 in the circumferential recess 7 of the base body 3 the order of how the various parts interact with each other is important for a smooth assembly. First, the lower end 19 of the first tamper band 5 enters the circumferential recess 7 in the direction of the closure axis before the at least one pillar 12 interacts with the at least one notch 13. Furthermore, the circumferential protrusion 10 and the circumferential undercut 11 and the notches 13 and the pillars 12 are arranged such that during assembly the circumferential protrusion 10 interacts with the circumferential undercut 11 after the lead in surfaces 17 and 20 of the notches 11 interact with the pillars 12.

(20) This variation of the invention comprises further on the inside a sealing means 29 which interacts at least with an outer surface 25 and a rim surface 26 of the neck finish 27, when the closure 1 is applied to a neck finish 27 (cross-section in FIG. 6 schematically indicated by dashed line). The rim surface 26 interconnects the outer surface 25 with an annular end surface 28. The sealing means 29 is shown in a non-deformed manner. As it can be seen the sealing means 29 comprises in the shown embodiment an outer leg 30 with an in general constant thickness. The outer leg 30 is separated by a gap 31 from the base body 3. The gap 31 allows that the outer leg 30 to be deformed freely in a radial direction.

(21) At the inner rear end of the outer leg 30, a bump 33 is visible which is designed and arranged such that when the closure is applied onto the neck finish 27 the bump 33 interacts with the rim surface 26 forming a second sealing area. The bump 33 is functionally separated from the outer leg 30 by a dent 34. The functional interaction between the outer leg 30 and the bump 33 can be adjusted by the shape of the dent 34. The dent 34 avoids unwanted interaction between the outer leg 30 and the bump 33 when deformation of the shell of the closure 1 occurs.

(22) As it can be seen in FIG. 6, the sealing means 29 further comprises a bore seal 35 having a cross-section consisting of an inner leg 36, which reaches into the neck finish 27 when the closure is applied on the neck finish 27 and acts as a bore seal 35. The inner leg 36 has a protrusion 37 extending radial outwardly and forming in applied position a third sealing area between the sealing means 29 and the neck finish 27. The bore seal 35 may have different shapes depending on the field of application.

(23) It can further be seen that the base body 3 comprises on the inside a thread 39, which consists out of thread segments. Between two in circumferential (helical) direction adjacent thread segments, channel-like recesses 38 are arranged on the inside of the base body 3 in a preferably vertical direction (parallel to a closure axis z; vertical means in general vertical). The shown embodiment comprises in total twelve channel-like recesses 38, which are circumferentially evenly distributed between the thread segments 39. As it can be seen, the recesses 38 extend in axial direction at least across the two in axial direction adjacent thread segments 39. By the evenly distributed and balanced arrangement of the thread segments 39 and the channel-like recesses 38, a balanced distribution of the load is achieved, which e.g. may occur due to internal pressure or the like.

(24) TABLE-US-00001 LIST OF DESIGNATIONS 1 Closure 2 Top cover 3 Base body 4 Opening 5 First tamper band 6 Second tamper band 7 Circumferential recess 8 First side surface (base body) 9 Second side surface (base body) 10 Circumferential protrusion 11 Circumferential undercut 12 Pillar 13 Notch 14 First side surface (first tamper band) 15 Second side surface (first tamper band) 16 Circumferential bead 17 Lead in surface 18 Closure axis 19 Lower end 20 Lead in surface 21 Recessed section 22 Top deck 23 Tearable bridges 24 Protrusions (second tamper band) 25 Outer surface 26 Rim surface 27 Neck finish 28 Annular end surface 29 Sealing means 30 Outer leg 31 Gap 33 Bump 34 Dent 35 Bore seal 36 Inner leg 37 Protrusion (inner leg) 38 Channel-like recesses 39 Thread 40 Valve 41 Drainage hole