Container closure assembly

Abstract

A closure assembly has a closure cap (2) adapted to be fitted to the neck of container to close the container. The cap (2) has an upper wall (4) and a cylindrical skirt (5) depending therefrom. A reservoir (7) is formed on the underside of the upper wall (4) radially within the skirt (5) and has a dispensing opening (9). A closing member (3) is fitted into the closure cap (2) to close the dispensing opening in the reservoir. When the closure cap (2) is removed from the container, the closing member (3) remains held within the neck of the container and is separated from the closure cap so that the dispensing opening is opened and material contained therein is dispensed into the container. The closure cap is provided with sealing means for directly sealing against the neck of a container such as an annular wall (12) extendin downwardly from the underside of the upper wall of the closure cap (2) to fit sealingly into the neck of the container.

Claims

1. A closure assembly comprising: a closure cap adapted to be fitted to the neck of a container to close the container, said cap comprising an upper wall and a cylindrical skirt depending there from, a reservoir being formed on an underside of the upper wall within the skirt for accommodating a material, and the reservoir being provided with a dispensing opening; and a closing member for closing the dispensing opening of the reservoir; and the closing member comprising: a fixing member, the fixing member being adapted to fit into the neck of the container by an interference fit, when the closure assembly is fitted thereto, and the fixing member comprising at least one fixation zone having an outer diameter which is greater than an inner diameter of the container neck for forming the interference fit with the neck of the container; a plug member, the plug member being adapted to fit into an open end of the reservoir for closing the reservoir when the closure cap and closing member are fitted together, and a passage element allowing material to be dispensed from the reservoir into the container, the interference fit being such that when the closure cap is removed from the container, the closing member remains held within the neck of the container and is separated from the closure cap so that the dispensing opening is opened and material contained therein is dispensed into the container, wherein the closure cap is provided with sealing means for directly sealing against the neck of such container, said sealing means is an annular wall extending downwardly from the underside of the upper wall of the closure cap to fit sealingly into the neck of the container.

2. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir is formed by an annular reservoir wall extending downwardly from the underside of the upper wall of the closure cap.

3. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein the passage element comprises a plurality of radial bridges, passages being formed between the radial bridges such that when the closure cap is separated from the closing member, the material can be dispensed from the reservoir through the passages and into the container.

4. The closure assembly according to claim 2, wherein the passage element comprises a plurality of radial bridges, passages being formed between the radial bridges such that when the closure cap is separated from the closing member, the material can be dispensed from the reservoir through the passages and into the container.

5. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein the annular wall comprises a convex closure sealing zone, in which the outer diameter of the annular wall is greater than the inner diameter of the container neck.

6. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member comprises at least the fixation zones.

7. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein the axial length of the reservoir mainly corresponds to a sum of the axial length of the fixing member and the axial length of the annular wall.

8. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein the closure cap comprises at least one centering member extending downwardly from the underside of the upper wall radially outwardly of the reservoir and radially inwardly of the annular wall.

9. The closure assembly according to claim 1 in combination with a container having a neck with an external screw thread; the closure cap being formed with a corresponding screw thread on the inside of the depending skirt for fitting the closure assembly to the container.

Description

(1) Embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the top of a container fitted with a closure assembly according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the top of the container with the closure cap removed;

(4) FIG. 3 is a vertical section through the closure cap assembly;

(5) FIG. 4 is a vertical section through the top of a container with the closure cap removed but with the fixing member located in the neck of the container;

(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a further example of a container, a closing member and a closure cap;

(7) FIG. 6 is vertical section though the further example of the closure cap applied to the container.

(8) The closure assembly shown in the drawings is for use with a container 1 having an external screw thread on its neck. The container is a bottle and typically will be made of a plastic material, for example PET, metal or glass. The closure assembly comprises a cap 2 and a closing member 3, as can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. The cap 2 has an upper wall 4 with a cylindrical skirt 5 depending therefrom. The skirt has an internal screw thread on the inside of the skirt for fitting to the container. As shown in FIG. 1, the cap is formed with a tamper indicating ring 6 which is broken away from the skirt when the closure is first opened. As also seen from FIG. 1, the outer shape of the cap is entirely conventional.

(9) As can be seen in FIG. 3 a reservoir 7 is formed within the skirt 5 on the underside of the upper wall 4 of the cap. The reservoir is formed by a mainly cylindrical reservoir wall 8 extending downwardly from the underside of the upper wall 4. A dispensing opening 9 is defined by the free end of the wall 8.

(10) The closing member 3 is sized to be fitted into the closure to close the dispensing opening 9. The closing member 3 comprises a fixing member 10, a plug member 11 is supported coaxially within the fixing member 10 at its lower end by a passage member 13, preferably comprising a plurality of bridges 14, preferably four or six. The greater the diameters of the reservoir 7, the plug member 11 and the fixing member 10 are, the more bridges 14 may be arranged around the plug member 11.

(11) The plug member 11 fits into the open end of the reservoir wall 8 to form a bore seal therewith to close the reservoir 7. The plug 11 may be a snap fit in the wall 8 to help retain the assembly of cap 2 and sealing member 3 in fitted relationship during transport, storage and handling of the assembly.

(12) An annular wall 12 extends downwardly from the underside of the closure cap radially outwardly of the reservoir and fits sealingly into the upper end of the container neck. The annular wall has a convex shape (seen in the axial direction) on its outer surface forming a sealing area 25 having a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the container neck. Such a seal is typically known as olive seal. Furthermore, the closure cap 2 may have further conventional sealing members such as an outer sealing lip 26 or a top sealing lip 27.

(13) Additionally or alternatively the closure cap may comprise any conventional sealing member, such as a conically formed wall extending from inside of the closure cap.

(14) When the assembly is fitted to the container 1 (not shown in FIG. 3), the fixing member 10 of the closing member fits into the neck of the container with an interference fit such that when the closure cap 2 is unscrewed from the container 1, the fixing member 10 remains held within the neck of the container 1 and the closing member 3 is separated from the closure cap 2. As the cap 2 and closing member 3 are separated, the plug member 11 comes out of the wall 8 of the reservoir so that the dispensing opening 9 is opened. A liquid, powder or granulate material held in the reservoir can then pass out of the reservoir to be dispensed into the container through passages 15 in the closing member formed between the bridges 14. The mixed contents of the container can then be poured out through the passages 15.

(15) The axial length of the reservoir 7 mainly corresponds to the sum of the axial length 21 of the fixing member 10 and the axial length 20 of the annular wall 12. Thus the axial length 21 of the fixing member 10 may be chosen to be sufficient for providing a well adjusted position and for avoiding a tilting of the closing member 3.

(16) Further more the length for the fixating member 10 can be chosen independently from the length 20 of the annular wall 12.

(17) As best shown in FIG. 3, the fixing member 10 is provided with three contact zones or fixation zones 16 having an outer diameter 17 being greater than the inner diameter of the container neck and forming a friction fit between the container neck and closing member 3.

(18) The cap 2 further comprises centring elements 18 arranged on the outer surface of the wall 8.

(19) As can be see in FIG. 4 the upper end of the fixing member 10 rests below the upper rim 19 of the container neck 1. Thus a person drinking directly form the container would not necessarily come into contact with the closing member 3 and cannot easily remove the closing member.

(20) In an assembly for use on a standard 28 mm diameter bottle neck, the reservoir may have a diameter of about 12 mm and will be filled to a depth of about 9 mm giving a liquid volume of about 1 ml. In an assembly for use on a 38 mm diameter bottle neck, the reservoir may have a diameter of about 22 mm and be filled to a depth of about 13 mm giving a liquid volume of about 5 ml. Such reservoirs will not extend below the skirt 5 or may extend only very slightly. If required, the reservoir could be made much deeper for certain applications but this will hinder high speed handling.

(21) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a further example of a container 1, a closing member 3 and a closure cap 2.

(22) The closure cap 2 again has a conventional outer appearance.

(23) The closing member 3 comprises a fixing member 10 with two fixation zones 16. The passage element 13 comprises six bridges 14 with passages 15 in between.

(24) FIG. 6 is a vertical section through the same closure assembly applied to the container 1. As can be seen in this figure the plug member 11 is formed conical to allow a material stored in the reservoir 7 to pour out easily through passages 15 between bridges 14.