Abstract
An attached device for a threaded neck of a container, including a first ring provided with a thread which allows the first ring to be screwed onto a threaded neck of the container, and a second ring that rotates as one with the first ring with the aid of at least one coupling member which is separate from at least one of the first and second rings and includes at least one zone for coupling to the at least one first, second ring from which it is separate, the coupling member including a breaking zone separate from the coupling zone and intended to break starting at a threshold rotational torque applied between the first and second rings.
Claims
1. An attached device for a threaded neck of a container, the attached device comprising a first ring provided with a screwthread that enables the first ring to be screwed onto a threaded neck of a container and a second ring, constrained to rotate in either direction with the first ring with the aid of at least one coupling member separate from at least one of said first ring and said second rings and that comprises at least one coupling zone with the at least one of said first ring and said second ring, from which said at least one coupling member is separate, wherein the coupling member comprises at least one rupture zone separate from said coupling zone, designed to break from a threshold rotation torque applied between said first and second rings when a certain torque is applied to the second ring during screwing of the attached device onto the threaded neck of the container.
2. The attached device according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member comprises a ring the diameter of which is greater than the outside diameter of the first ring and less than the outside diameter of the second ring.
3. The attached device according to claim 2, wherein the coupling zone of the coupling member comprises at least one tooth adapted to be lodged in an orifice or a bore of the first ring or the second ring, the coupling member of which is separate.
4. The attached device according to claim 1, wherein the rupture zone of the coupling member comprises at least one frangible bridge arranged around the first ring or the second ring in one piece with the coupling member.
5. The attached device according to claim 1, further comprising a pump carried by the first ring for dispensing a fluid.
6. The attached device according to claim 1, wherein the second ring completely surrounds the first ring so that it is impossible to access the first ring.
7. The attached device according to claim 1, wherein the second ring is a child-resistant-closure (CRC) ring designed to be combinable with a child-resistant-closure (CRC) cap.
8. A method of assembling attached devices according to claim 1, to threaded necks of a container, the method comprising the application of a screwing torque to the attached devices, wherein the applied screwing torque is greater than or equal to a threshold rotation torque.
9. A bottle comprising an attached device according to claim 1 and a container with a threaded neck.
10. The attached device according to claim 1, wherein the coupling zone of the coupling member comprises at least one tooth adapted to be lodged in an orifice or a bore of the first ring or the second ring, the coupling member of which is separate.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The invention will be better understood on reading the appended figures, which are provided by way of nonlimiting example, in which:
(2) FIG. 1 shows a bottle comprising an attached device in accordance with a first embodiment.
(3) FIG. 2 is a cross section of the bottle shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line II-II.
(4) FIGS. 3a and 3b show a first ring in one piece with a coupling member and a second ring of an attached device according to the first embodiment.
(5) FIGS. 4 and 5 are two cross sections taken along the lines IV-IV and V-V, respectively, in FIG. 3b.
(6) FIGS. 6a, 7a, 8a and 9a show four different steps of a method of assembling an attached device, in accordance with the first embodiment, to a container threaded neck (the cap and the second ring being intentionally concealed).
(7) FIGS. 6b, 7b, 8b and 9b are cross sections taken along the line VI-VI of the assembly from FIGS. 6a, 7a, 8a and 9a, respectively (the cap and the second ring being intentionally concealed).
(8) FIG. 10 shows a CRC bottle comprising a CRC attached device in accordance with a first embodiment.
(9) FIG. 11a is a cross section of the bottle shown in FIG. 10 taken along the line XI-XI.
(10) FIG. 11b shows an enlargement of the section shown in FIG. 11a.
(11) FIGS. 12a and 12b show a first ring in one piece with a coupling member and a second ring of the CRC attached device from FIGS. 10 to 11b.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(12) Refer now to FIG. 1, which shows a bottle 1 comprising an attached device 2, in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, and a container 3 with a threaded neck 4. The attached device 2 comprises a first ring 8 (visible in FIG. 2), in one piece with a coupling member 10 (shown in FIG. 3a), a second ring 9, which completely surrounds the first ring 8, a dispensing pump 5 with a tip 6 and a cap 7. The cap 7 is clipped onto the second ring 9, which to this end includes a clipping bead 9a (visible in FIGS. 3b and 4). During manipulation of the attached device 2 to mount it on the threaded neck 4, the attached device 2 can be held by the cap 7 or by the striated external face of the second ring 9. In both cases, the assembly consisting of the cap 7 and the second ring 9 is considered a unitary assembly, because of clipping one to the other, and any screwing torque applied to the cap 7 amounts to a screwing torque applied to the second ring 9 and vice versa.
(13) The coupling member 10 comprises two coupling zones with the second ring 9, each consisting of a tooth 12 with a beveled free end, that will be designated hereinafter an oriented clip, adapted to lodge in an orifice 13 of the second ring 9.
(14) In FIG. 2 can be seen the attached device 2 screwed completely onto the container 3, thanks to the threaded first ring 8, which is screwed onto the threaded neck 4 of the container 3. The first ring 8 is in one piece with the coupling member 10, which comprises the oriented clips 12 each lodged in an orifice 13 of the second ring 9. The two oriented clips 12 therefore provide the coupling with the second ring 9, the effect of which is to fasten together in rotation the whole of the attached device 2. Each oriented clip 12 therefore defines a coupling zone.
(15) FIG. 3a shows the first ring 8, in one piece with the coupling member 10, and the second ring 9, before coupling the first and second rings 8 and 9. The coupling member 10 comprises a plurality of rupture zones separate from the two coupling zones. In the embodiment described, these rupture zones consist of six frangible bridges 11 distributed around the first ring 8, the frangible bridges 11 being adapted to break from a threshold rotation torque applied between said first and second rings 8 and 9. Finally, the coupling member 10 also comprises a ring 14 of greater diameter than the outside diameter of the first ring 8 and smaller diameter than the outside diameter of the second ring 9, which provides the connection between the rupture zones of the coupling member 10 and the coupling zones of the coupling member 10.
(16) FIG. 3b shows the first ring 8 in one piece with the coupling member 10 and the second ring 9 after insertion of the first ring 8 in the second ring 9 and coupling them by clipping them together by clipping the oriented clips 12 inside the orifices 13.
(17) In FIGS. 4 and 5, it is possible to observe in greater detail the coupling between the first ring 8 provided with a screwthread, enabling screwing onto the threaded neck 4 of the container 3, and the second ring 9, thanks to the oriented clips 12 of the ring 14 that is connected to the first ring 8 by the frangible bridges 11. Frangible bridges 11 of this kind are able to break starting from a predefined threshold rotation torque applied between said first and second rings 8 and 9.
(18) FIGS. 6a, 7a, 8a and 9a show various steps in the assembly of an attached device 2 from FIGS. 1 to 5 onto a container 3. Each of the assembly steps shown in FIGS. 6a, 7a, 8a and 9a is to be analyzed in conjunction with the corresponding cross section, shown in FIGS. 6b, 7b, 8b and 9b. Those cross sections are taken along the line VI-VI present in each of FIGS. 6a, 7a, 8a and 9a. For greater clarity, the cap 7 and the second ring 9 are intentionally concealed in the figures but as the coupling member 10 is clipped into the second ring 9, any screwing torque applied to the attached device 2 from the outside, i.e. to the cap 7 or to the second ring 9, is applied to the coupling member 10.
(19) FIGS. 6a and 6b show an unassembled bottle 1, before the attached device 2 comes into contact with the threaded neck 4 of the container 3. During this assembly step, which aims to produce the bottle 1 from FIG. 1, no screwing torque has yet been applied to the attached device 2. Thus no rupture of the frangible bridges 11 can be envisaged and the first ring 8 remains in one piece with the coupling member 10. Consequently, the first ring 8 also continues to be constrained to rotate with the second ring 9 (not shown in these figures), thanks to the oriented clips 12 of the coupling member 10 positioned in the orifices 13 of the second ring 9 of the attached device 2.
(20) FIGS. 7a and 7b show the bottle 1 during assembly. The attached device 2 is starting to be screwed onto the threaded neck 4 of the container 3. During this assembly step that aims to produce the bottle 1 from FIG. 1, a screwing torque is applied to the attached device 2 and therefore to the coupling member 10. As the first ring 8 does not encounter any obstacle while it is being screwed onto the threaded neck 4, apart from friction, the rotation torque applied between the first and second rings 8 and 9 is equal to the resisting torque caused by friction. This rotation torque is not yet greater than or equal to the predefined threshold rotation torque. As for the previous step, no rupture of the frangible bridges 11 can then be envisaged and the first ring 8 remains in one piece with the coupling member 10. Consequently, the first ring 8 also continues to be constrained to rotate with the second ring 9 (not shown in these figures), thanks to the oriented clips 12 of the coupling member 10 positioned in the orifices 13 of the second ring 9 of the attached device 2.
(21) FIGS. 8a and 8b show the bottle 1 during assembly. The attached device 2 is close to the end of screwing it onto the threaded neck 4 of the container 3. At this stage of assembly, the first ring 8 encounters a force resisting rotation as it is screwed onto the threaded neck 4 and the rotation torque between the first and second rings 8 and 9 is equal to the resisting torque opposed by the threaded neck 4. However, the resultant of the forces transferred to the frangible bridges 11 has not reached the threshold at which the frangible bridges 11 break. As before, no rupture of the frangible bridges 11 then occurs, the first ring 8 remains in one piece with the coupling member 10 and also continues to be constrained to rotate with the second ring 9 (not shown in these figures), thanks to the oriented clips 12 of the coupling member 10 positioned in the orifices 13 of the second ring 9 of the attached device 2.
(22) FIGS. 9a and 9b show the bottle 1 at the end of assembly. To finish with the production of the bottle 1, shown in this step, the rotation torque applied between the first and second rings 8 and 9 has suddenly increased after screwing the attached device 2 completely onto the threaded neck 4 of the container 3. The maximum possible rotation torque is equal to the screwing torque. This possible maximum is greater than or equal to the predefined rotation torque starting from which the frangible bridges 11 of the rupture zone of the coupling member 10 are designed to break. In other words, the resultant of the forces exerted on the two coupling zones of the coupling member 10, because of the rotation torque imposed on the attached device 2, transferred to the frangible bridges 11 of the coupling member 10, has passed the threshold starting from which the frangible bridges 11 break. The frangible bridges 11 are then broken and form half-bridges 11. Consequently, the first ring 8 is no longer in one piece with the ring 14 of the coupling member 10, which continues to be coupled to the second ring 9, via the oriented clips 12. The first ring 8 is therefore no longer constrained to rotate with the second ring 9 (not shown in these figures) which therefore turns freely around the first ring 8. In other words, when a rotation torque, in the screwing or unscrewing sense, is applied to the attached device 2, via the second ring 9, the first ring 8 is not entrained by the rotation of the second ring 9, even if an axial force is exerted in an attempt to move the first and second rings 8, 9 toward one another. Because the second ring 9 completely surrounds the first ring 8, it is moreover then impossible to overscrew the first ring 8 onto the threaded neck 4 of the container 3 or to unscrew it therefrom.
(23) According to a variant embodiment not shown, these orifices 13 could be blocked by the exterior wall of the second ring 9 instead of open-ended. Regardless of the embodiment, these oriented clips 12 are inoperative to detach the first ring 8 from the threaded neck 4 of the container 3.
(24) FIG. 10 shows a CRC bottle 101 that comprises a CRC attached device 102 according to the first embodiment of the invention and a container 103 with threaded neck 104. As shown in FIGS. 11a and 11b, the CRC attached device 102 comprises a dispensing pump 105 including a tip 106, a CRC cap 107, a first ring 108 in one piece with a coupling member 110, and a second ring 109 that completely surrounds the first ring 108. The coupling member 110 comprises two coupling zones with the second ring 109, each consisting of an oriented clip 112 adapted to be lodged in an orifice 113 of the second ring 109. The second ring 109 of the CRC attached device 102 comprises a screwthread, enabling screwing on of the CRC cap 107, and two external clips 115, enabling secure coupling between the CRC cap 107 and the second ring 109. In other words, in addition to the impossibility of dissociating the CRC attached device 102 from the container 103, once the cap 107 is screwed onto and coupled to the second ring 109 of the CRC attached device 102, it is extremely complicated, and preferably impossible, for a child to dismount the cap 107 from the second ring 109. Consequently, the pump 105 and the contents of the bottle 101 become inaccessible to a child.
(25) In FIG. 11a there can be seen the CRC attached device 102, screwed completely onto the container 103 thanks to the first ring 108 including a screwthread, which is screwed onto the threaded neck 104 of the container 103. The first ring 108 is in one piece with the coupling member 110, which comprises the two oriented clips 112 each housed in an orifice 113 of the second ring 109. The two oriented clips 112 provide the coupling with the second ring 109, the effect of which is to fasten together in rotation all of the CRC attached device 102.
(26) FIG. 11b shows an enlargement of the section shown in FIG. 11a, more particularly showing the screwing zone between the CRC attached device 102 and the container 103. It is possible to observe the arrangement of the frangible bridges 111 and the ring 114 of the coupling member 110, as well as the external clips 115 of the second ring 109.
(27) FIG. 12a shows the first ring 108, in one piece with the coupling member 110 and the second ring 109, before coupling the first and second rings 108 and 109. The coupling member 110 comprises a rupture zone, separate from the two coupling zones, that, in the embodiment described, consists of six frangible bridges 111 distributed around the first ring 108 and adapted to break starting from a threshold rotation torque applied between said first and second rings 108 and 109. Finally, the coupling member 110 also comprises a ring 114 of diameter greater than the outside diameter of the first ring 108 and less than the outside diameter of the second ring 109, which provides the connection between the rupture zone of the coupling member 110 and the two coupling zones of the coupling member 110. Finally, the second ring 109 of the CRC attached device 102 comprises two external clips 115 that enable a secure coupling between the CRC cap 107 and the second ring 109.
(28) FIG. 12b shows the first ring 108 in one piece with the coupling member 110 and the second ring 109 after insertion of the first ring 108 in the second ring 109 and coupling them together by clipping the oriented lugs 112 inside the orifices 113.
(29) The invention is not limited to the embodiments described and other embodiments will be clearly apparent to the person skilled in the art. 1,101 bottle 2, 102 attached device 3, 103 container 4, 104 threaded neck 5, 105 dispensing pump 6, 106 tip 7, 107 cap 8, 108 first ring 9, 109 second ring 9a clipping bead 10, 110 coupling member 11, 111 frangible bridges 11 half-bridges 12, 112 tooth (oriented clip) 13, 113 orifice 14, 114 ring 105, 11 external clips
