U.S. patent application number 11/658871 was filed with the patent office on 2007-11-08 for cap for containers.
Invention is credited to Fabrizio Pucci.
Application Number | 20070257002 11/658871 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34967764 |
Filed Date | 2007-11-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070257002 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pucci; Fabrizio |
November 8, 2007 |
Cap for Containers
Abstract
A cap comprises a cup body with which a tamper-evident ring is
associated delimited by a side wall provided with a connecting zone
with which a retaining arrangement is connected suitable for
engaging with a collar of a container, said side wall comprising a
wall portion that projects towards the outside of said
tamper-evident ring, such as to enable said connecting zone to
expand radially whilst said cap is applied to said container; a cap
comprises a cup body with which a first edge of a tamper-evident
ring is associated, said tamper-evident ring comprising a
connecting zone from which a flap arrangement extends suitable for
engaging with a collar of a container and a second edge opposite
said first edge, said second edge being joined to said connecting
zone by a surface tilted towards the inside of said cup body.
Inventors: |
Pucci; Fabrizio; (Castle
Guelfo (BO), IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
NIXON & VANDERHYE, PC
901 NORTH GLEBE ROAD, 11TH FLOOR
ARLINGTON
VA
22203
US
|
Family ID: |
34967764 |
Appl. No.: |
11/658871 |
Filed: |
April 21, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
April 21, 2005 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IB05/01074 |
371 Date: |
March 8, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
215/252 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 41/3428
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
215/252 |
International
Class: |
B65D 41/34 20060101
B65D041/34 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 30, 2004 |
IT |
MO2004A000201 |
Claims
1-40. (canceled)
41. Cap comprising a cup body with which a tamper-evident ring is
associated, said tamper-evident ring being delimited by a side wall
provided with a connecting zone to which a retaining arrangement is
connected for engaging with a collar made on a neck of a container,
said side wall comprising a wall portion defining an initial
dimension and having an inner surface and an outer surface both
projecting outwardly, said wall portion having a thickness so as to
expand radially and increase said initial dimension when said
connecting zone passes on said collar during screwing of said cap
on said neck and return back to said initial dimension when said
cap is completely screwed on said neck.
42. Cap according to claim 41, wherein said wall portion has a
substantially frustum conical shape.
43. Cap according to claim 41, wherein said wall portion is
provided with a shape that is cambered towards the outside of said
tamper-evident ring.
44. Cap according to claim 41, wherein said wall portion extends
from a first edge of said tamper-evident ring arranged in a
position adjacent to said cup body.
45. Cap according to claim 44, wherein said first edge is obtained
at a zone of said tamper-evident ring having a minimum
diameter.
46. Cap according to claim 44, wherein from said first edge bridge
elements lead away arranged to connect said tamper-evident ring to
said cup body, said bridge elements being fracturable during a
first opening of said cap.
47. Cap according to claim 41, wherein said wall portion extends to
said connecting zone.
48. Cap according to claim 41, wherein between said wall portion
and said connecting zone there is interposed a substantially
cylindrical zone.
49. Cap according to claim 41, wherein said wall portion has a
substantially constant thickness.
50. Cap according to claim 41, wherein said connecting zone is
interposed between said wall portion and a second edge.
51. Cap according to claim 50, wherein said second edge is joined
to said connecting zone by a tilted surface which is tilted towards
the inside of said cap.
52. Cap according to claim 51, wherein said tilted surface delimits
on said tamper-evident ring (a region comprised between said
connecting zone and said second edge and having a substantially
trapezoid section.
53. Cap according to claim 51, wherein said tilted surface has a
tilt of about 70 degrees in relation to said second edge.
54. Cap according to claim 52, wherein said region further
comprises a wall opposite said tilted surface and arranged
substantially parallel to an external wall of said cup body.
55. Cap according to claim 52, wherein said region further
comprises a further wall opposite said tilted surface and having a
diameter that increases approaching said second edge.
56. Cap according to claim 52, wherein said region further
comprises a still further wall opposite said tilted surface and
having a diameter that decreases approaching said second edge.
57. Cap according to claim 50, wherein said second edge is joined
to said connecting zone by a further surface arranged substantially
parallel to an external wall of said cup body.
58. Cap according to claim 57, wherein said further surface
delimits on said tamper-evident ring a region comprised between
said connecting zone and said second edge and having a
substantially rectangular section.
59. Cap according to claim 41, wherein said retaining arrangement
has an internal dimension such as to define a clearance with said
neck.
60. Cap according to claim 41, wherein said side wall is provided
with a weakening zone along which said tamper-evident ring may
break.
61. Cap according to claim 41, wherein said retaining arrangement
comprises a plurality of flaps.
62. Cap according to claim 61, wherein said flaps are arranged at
constant intervals along said tamper-evident ring.
63. Cap according to claim 61, wherein there is an even number of
said flaps.
64. Cap according to claim 61, wherein there is an uneven number of
said flaps.
65. Cap according to claim 41, wherein said retaining arrangement
comprises a continuous flap.
66. Cap comprising a cup body with which a first edge of a
tamper-evident ring is associated, said tamper-evident ring
comprising a connecting zone from which a flap arrangement extends
for engaging with a collar of a container and a second edge
opposite said first edge, wherein said second edge is joined to
said connecting zone by a surface tilted towards the inside of said
cup body and extending from said second edge to said flap
arrangement.
67. Cap according to claim 66, wherein said surface delimits on
said tamper-evident ring (a region comprised between said
connecting zone and said second edge and having a substantially
trapezoid section.
68. Cap according to claim 66, wherein said surface has a tilt of
about 70 degrees in relation to said second edge.
69. Cap according to claim 67, wherein said region further
comprises a wall opposite said surface and arranged substantially
parallel to an external wall of said cup body.
70. Cap according to claim 67, wherein said region further
comprises a further wall opposite said surface and having a
diameter that increases approaching said second edge.
71. Cap according to claim 67, wherein said region further
comprises a still further wall opposite said surface and having a
diameter that decreases approaching said second edge.
72. Cap according to claim 66, wherein said flap arrangement has an
internal dimension such as to define a clearance with a neck of
said container from which said collar protrudes.
73. Cap according to claim 66, and further comprising a side wall
arranged between said connecting zone and said first edge, said
side wall being provided with a weakening zone along which said
tamper-evident ring may break.
74. Cap according to claim 66, wherein said first edge is obtained
at a zone of said tamper-evident ring having a minimum
diameter.
75. Cap according to claim 66, wherein bridge elements arranged to
connect said tamper-evident ring to said cup body lead away from
said first edge, said bridge elements being fracturable during a
first opening of said cap.
76. Cap according to claim 66, wherein said flap arrangement
comprises a plurality of flaps.
77. Cap according to claim 76, wherein said flaps are arranged at
constant angular intervals along said tamper-evident ring.
78. Cap according to claim 76, wherein there is an even number of
said flaps.
79. Cap according to claim 76, wherein there is an uneven number of
said flaps.
80. Cap according to claim 66, wherein said flap arrangement
comprises a continuous flap.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a cap for containers, particularly
suitable for being applied to a threaded end of a container. U.S.
Pat. No. 6,543,634 discloses a screw cap, comprising a cup body
internally provided with a threaded region suitable for engaging in
a shapingly coupled manner with a threaded neck of a bottle. The
cap furthermore comprises a tamper-evident ring connected to a
bottom edge of the cup body at a plurality of bridges. The
tamper-evident ring comprises a cylindrical wall provided with a
top edge from which the bridges extend, and which has a relatively
thin thickness. The cylindrical wall is connected at the bottom, at
a connecting zone, to a bead delimited by an external surface and
an internal surface that are parallel to one other and both have a
cylindrical shape. The bead has a thickness that is significantly
greater than the cylindrical structure above it. From the
connecting zone a plurality of flaps extend that are arranged in a
position that is tilted in relation to the cylindrical wall and
faces a bottom wall of the cup body.
[0002] When the cap disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,634 is applied
to a bottle, the tamper-evident ring and the flaps are deformed in
such a way as to enable the tamper-evident ring to be positioned
underneath a collar provided on the bottle. If the cap is
subsequently unscrewed, the flaps are brought up against a bottom
surface of the collar retaining the tamper-evident ring in a
position adjacent to the collar. The torque applied by the user
during unscrewing thus enables the bridges to be broken and the cup
body to be removed, leaving the tamper-evident ring associated with
the bottle.
[0003] A drawback of the cap disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,634
is that applying it to a bottle that moves at high speed along a
bottling line is very often awkward and may be incorrect.
[0004] In fact, the internal diameter of the tamper-evident ring is
kept near the external diameter of the collar and in such a
configuration the structure of the tamper-evident ring is
excessively stiff.
[0005] In a first bottling phase the cap has to rest on the
threaded neck of the bottle, and in a second phase it has to be
tightened on the threaded neck such as to isolate the contents of
the bottle from the external environment. During these phases, it
is necessary to exert rather high torque on the cap such that the
tamper-evident ring is deformed by expanding until it slides
underneath the threaded neck and the collar. However, in some cases
it may not be possible to close the bottle, because the torque
applied to the cap is not sufficient to force it onto the neck of
the bottle, or, if the torque is sufficient, but the cap is
difficult to be applied, the cap may become deformed, may not be
correctly applied and in certain circumstances may be projected far
from the bottle. An object of the invention is to improve caps for
closing bottles, particularly equipped with a threaded neck.
[0006] Another object is to supply a cap that can easily be applied
to a bottle.
[0007] A further object is to limit the problems that may arise
during bottling, in particular those that may cause interruptions
to the production cycle and/or marketing of packages of poor
quality.
[0008] A further object is to reduce the torque required to apply a
cap to a bottle, without however impairing the bottle's hermetic
seal, such that during the opening phase of the bottle a user can
easily remove the cap from the neck of the bottle.
[0009] In a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a cap
comprising a cup body with which a tamper-evident ring is
associated delimited by side wall means provided with a connecting
zone with which retaining means is connected suitable for engaging
with a collar of a container, characterised in that said side wall
means comprises a wall portion that projects towards the outside of
said tamper-evident ring, such as to enable said connecting zone to
expand radially whilst said cap is applied to said container.
[0010] Owing to this aspect of the invention, it is possible to
obtain a cap that can be easily applied to a container, for example
a bottle. In fact, when the cap is forced onto the container, the
wall portion that projects outwards acts as promoter of
deformability facilitating the radial expansion of the connecting
zone. In this way, it is possible to reduce the torque required to
apply the cap to the container.
[0011] In a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a cap
comprising a cup body with which a first edge of a tamper-evident
ring is associated, said tamper-evident ring comprising a
connecting zone from which flap means extends suitable for engaging
with a collar of a container and a second edge opposite said first
edge, characterised in that said second edge is joined to said
connecting zone by a surface tilted towards the inside of said cup
body.
[0012] Owing to this aspect of the invention, it is possible to
obtain a cap that can be easily applied to a container,
particularly a bottle. The tilted surface of the tamper-evident
ring in fact forms an internal bevel that acts as a promoting
portion when the cap is rested on a neck of the container and is
subsequently fitted thereupon. In this way the risks are limited
that the cap, owing to the excessive interference with the neck,
may be incorrectly applied and become deformed.
[0013] Furthermore, the tilted surface delimits on the
tamper-evident ring a region, comprised between the second edge and
the connecting zone, having a substantially trapezoid or triangular
section. This enables the quantity of material to be reduced that
is necessary for manufacturing the tamper-evident ring compared
with the quantity of material necessary for obtaining a ring of the
type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,634.
[0014] The invention may be better understood and carried out with
reference to the enclosed drawings, which show some exemplifying
and non-limitative embodiments thereof, in which:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a section view of a cap provided with a
tamper-evident ring;
[0016] FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail of FIG. 1 showing a section of
the tamper-evident ring;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a schematic, enlarged and fragmentary section
showing an application phase of the cap in FIG. 1, in which the cap
comes into contact with a neck of a bottle for the first time;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a section like the one in FIG. 3 showing the
partially deformed tamper-evident ring in such a way as to go
beyond a collar obtained in the neck of the bottle;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a section like the one in FIG. 3, showing the
tamper-evident ring applied to the neck of the bottle;
[0020] FIG. 6 is a section like the one in FIG. 3, showing a phase
of removal of the cap from the bottle;
[0021] FIG. 7 is a section like the one in FIG. 3, showing the
moment in which the tamper-evident ring is separated from a body of
the cap;
[0022] FIG. 8 is a section like the one in FIG. 3, showing the
tamper-evident ring associated with the bottle after removal of the
cap;
[0023] FIG. 9 is a section like the one in FIG. 3, showing the
tamper-evident ring distanced from the body of the cap after the
cap has been removed and the body of the latter has again been
screwed to the neck;
[0024] FIG. 10 is a view like the one in FIG. 2, showing a
tamper-evident ring according to a first alternative version;
[0025] FIG. 11 is a view like the one in FIG. 2, showing a
tamper-evident ring according to a second alternative version;
[0026] FIG. 12 is a view like the one in FIG. 2, showing a
tamper-evident ring according to a third alternative version;
[0027] FIG. 13 is a view like the one in FIG. 2, showing a
tamper-evident ring according to a fourth alternative version;
[0028] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a cap provided with a
tamper-evident ring arranged to remain attached to the body of the
cap after removal of the cap.
[0029] FIG. 1 shows a cap 1 suitable for being used to close an
open end of a container, such as a bottle. The cap 1 can for
example be obtained by compression or injection moulding of a
plastics.
[0030] The cap 1 comprises a cup body 2, delimited by a bottom wall
3 having a substantially circular plan shape. The cup body 2
furthermore comprises a skirt 4, that extends from the bottom wall
3 and can be substantially perpendicular to said wall. The skirt 4
is internally provided with threads 5, suitable for engaging with a
threaded neck 31 (FIG. 3) of a bottle, and can be externally
delimited by a knurled surface 6 such that the user can more easily
grasp the cup body 2 to screw it onto the bottle or unscrew it
therefrom.
[0031] On the bottom wall 3 a seat can be obtained for housing a
seal 7 suitable for abutting on an end of the neck of the bottle to
prevent the substances contained therein from escaping into the
external environment.
[0032] The skirt 6 is delimited in a region thereof opposite the
bottom wall 3 by a rim 8 with which a tamper-evident ring 9 is
associated in a removable manner. The latter is delimited by a
first edge 13 adjacent to the cup body 2, and by a second edge 14,
opposite the first edge 13. When the cap 1 is screwed on a bottle,
the first edge 13 delimits the tamper-evident ring 9 at the top,
whereas the second edge 14 delimits it at the bottom.
[0033] The first edge 13 is connected to the rim 8 by means of a
plurality of bridges or joining zones 10 separated by cuts 11 so as
to define a fracture line 12 that extends around the entire first
edge 13.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, the tamper-evident ring 9 comprises side
wall means 15 interposed between the first edge 13 and the second
edge 14.
[0035] The side wall means 15 is internally provided with a
connecting zone 16 from which retaining means extends suitable for
engaging with a collar obtained on the neck of the bottle. The
retaining means may comprise a plurality of flaps 17--or,
alternatively, a continuous flap--tilted towards the bottom wall 3,
and separated from one another by sectors 18.
[0036] Alternatively, as shown by a dotted line in FIG. 2, the
flaps 17 may be substantially parallel to the bottom wall 3, or be
tilted towards the second edge 14.
[0037] The flaps 17 can be arranged in such a way as to be
angularly equidistant along the tamper-evident ring 9.
[0038] Alternatively, the flaps 17 can be arranged in such a way as
not to be angularly equidistant.
[0039] Even or odd numbers of flaps 17 may be provided.
[0040] The connecting zone 16 defines on the side wall means 15 a
first region 19 interposed between the connecting zone 16 and the
first edge 13, and a second region 20, interposed between the
connecting zone 16 and the second edge 14. The first region 19
comprises a wall portion 21 that projects to the outside of the
tamper-evident ring 9. The second region 20 defines an edge from
portions of which the flaps 17 lead away. In the example in FIG. 2,
the portion 21 is provided with frustum conical geometry, with a
smaller base of the frustum cone facing the first edge 13 and a
larger base of the frustum cone facing the connecting zone 16. The
conformation of the wall portion 21 is such as to allow an increase
in the diameter of the tamper-evident ring 9 going from the first
edge 13 to the connecting zone 16. In particular, the internal
diameter of the first region 19 of the tamper-evident ring 9 goes
from a first value D1 near the first edge 13 to a second value D2,
greater than D1, near the connecting zone 16.
[0041] From the end of the wall portion 21 opposite the first edge
13 there extends a substantially cylindrical portion 22, delimited
by an external surface 23 and by an internal surface 24. The
transverse thickness of the substantially cylindrical portion 22 is
substantially the same as that of the wall portion 21. The
substantially cylindrical portion 22 is connected to the portion 21
at an edge 25.
[0042] Each flap 17 is connected with the cylindrical portion 22 by
means of circular sector elements 26 and is delimited by a top
surface 27 and by a bottom surface 28 that are substantially
parallel to each other. An end surface 29 that is substantially
parallel to the external surface 23 joins together the top surface
27 and the bottom surface 28 of each flap 17. The end surfaces 29
of the flaps 17 define a diameter D3 inside the cap 1.
[0043] The connecting zone 16 is joined to the bottom edge 14 by a
tilted surface 30 having a substantially frustum conical shape,
with the smaller base of the frustum cone facing the bottom wall 3.
The tilted surface 30 forms with the second edge 14 an angle
.alpha. such as to act as a promoting portion when the cap 1 is
applied to a neck of a bottle. In particular, the angle .alpha. may
have a value of approximately 70.degree..
[0044] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 13, the connecting zone 16
can be joined to the bottom edge 14 by a further surface 41
arranged substantially perpendicularly to the second edge 14, in
such a way that the second region 20 has a thickness S that is
substantially constant along the entire length.
[0045] FIGS. 3 to 5 illustrate three application phases of the cap
1 to the neck 31 of the bottle. The neck 31 is provided at the top
with a thread 35, suitable for engaging with the threads 5 obtained
inside the cup body 2. Underneath the thread 35 there is provided a
collar 32 delimited by a first side surface 33 and by a second
bottom surface 34.
[0046] The cap 1 is initially rested on the thread 35, after which
it is gradually screwed onto the latter. Owing to the tilted
surface 30, which defines on the second region 20 an internal
bevel, the cap 1 can be forced onto the neck 31 relatively easily.
The bevel in fact limits the risks that the cap 1 is incorrectly
positioned on the neck 31. Simultaneously, the bevel defined by the
tilted surface 30 enables the quantity of plastics required to form
the tamper-evident ring 9 to be reduced. In fact, the tilted
surface 30 gives the second region 20 of the tamper-evident ring 9
a substantially trapezoid section, having a reduced extent compared
with the case in which the second region is internally delimited by
a surface parallel to the external surface 23, as indicated by a
dotted line in FIG. 10.
[0047] By continuing to screw the cap onto the thread, the
tamper-evident ring starts to interact with the collar 32. The
bevel defined by the tilted surface 30 on the second region 20
enables gentler and more gradual interaction between the
tamper-evident ring 9 and the collar 32. The flaps 17, by coming
into contact with the first side surface 33 of the collar 32, tend
to rotate around the connecting zone 16 in such a way as to
approach the first region 19 of the side wall means 15. This
rotation may involve an increase in the angle .alpha..
Simultaneously, the connecting zone 16 tends to get deformed,
expanding radially so as to be able to go beyond the collar 32.
During this phase, the first region 19 of the side wall means 15
tends to curve outwardly, taking on a cambered configuration shown
in FIG. 4.
[0048] The conformation of the first region 19 of the side wall
means 15 is such as to facilitate the radial expansion of the
connecting zone 16. In fact, the portion 21 that projects
externally acts as a promoter of deformability and enables the
first region 19 to take on a cambered configuration in an easier
manner than would occur if the first region 19 were cylindrical
with a diameter corresponding to that of the first edge 13.
[0049] The conformation of the portion 21 enables the bridges 10 to
be kept nearer the axis of the bottle and therefore--with the same
torque being applied to the cup body 2 for unscrewing--a greater
force to be obtained that discharges on the bridges 10.
[0050] By continuing to screw the cap 1 against the bottle, the
flaps 17 go beyond the collar 32 and place themselves beneath the
second bottom surface 34. In this position, the flaps 17 no longer
interact with the collar 32 and owing to the resilient properties
of the material of which they are made they return to their
undeformed configuration, as the first region 19 does. This
situation is shown in FIG. 5.
[0051] When a consumer wishes to remove the cap 1 from the bottle,
he grasps the knurled surface 6 to unscrew the cup body 2. In this
way the tamper-evident ring 9 approaches the collar 32 and the
flaps 17 start to interact with the second bottom surface 34. In
particular, the top surface 27 of each flap 17 rests on the second
bottom surface 34 of the collar 32, which acts as a stop for the
flaps 17, preventing them from going further up along the neck 31
of the bottle. The torque applied by the consumer who is unscrewing
the cap rotates the flaps 17 around the connecting zone 16, so as
to diminish the extent of the angle .alpha., as shown in FIG. 6.
The wall portion 21, being subjected to a force directed to the
bottom wall 3, tends to become aligned on the cylindrical wall 22,
thus reducing its tilt.
[0052] If the consumer continues to unscrew the cap, the bridges 10
are broken, as shown in FIG. 7, and the cup body 2 is separated
from the tamper-evident ring 9, which remains associated with the
neck 31 of the bottle.
[0053] As already previously disclosed with reference to FIG. 2,
the internal diameter D3 defined by the flaps 17 is dimensioned
such that clearance G between the neck 31 and the end surface 29 of
the flaps 17 remains defined, as shown in FIG. 8. Owing to the
clearance G and to plastic deformation of the second region 20
and/or of the flaps 17, after the cup body 2 has been removed from
the bottle, the tamper-evident ring 9 descends by gravity along the
neck 31, moving away from the collar 32. As shown in FIG. 9, when
the consumer, after partially consuming the contents of the bottle,
again applies the cup body 2 to the neck 31, the tamper-evident
ring 9, being rested on a ring projection 36 that leads away from
the neck 31 below the collar 32, remains distanced from the rim 8
of the cup body 2, indicating that the bottle has already been
opened. In fact the tamper-evident ring 9, even if it is brought
into contact with the cup body 2, again descends along the neck 31
by the force of gravity as soon as it has been released. In this
way the possibility of tampering with the contents of the bottle
without the user's knowing is prevented.
[0054] This behaviour is not found in the best caps available.
[0055] In such caps, in fact, the flaps are flexible and elastic,
i.e. they are easily deformable. They thus come into contact with
the neck after the first opening, in such a way as to keep the
tamper-evident ring lifted in relation to the ring projection.
[0056] FIG. 10 illustrates a tamper-evident ring 109 according to
an alternative version, that differs from the tamper-evident ring 9
shown in FIGS. 1 to 9 because it is devoid of the substantially
cylindrical portion 22. The wall portion 121 that protrudes
outwardly the tamper-evident ring 109 is provided with a
substantially frustum conical shape, and is delimited at the top by
the first edge 13 and at the bottom by the connecting zone 16. The
smaller base of the frustum cone defined by the wall portion 121 is
facing the bottom wall 3, so that the internal diameter of the
tamper-evident ring 109 progressively increases passing from the
first edge 13 to the connecting zone 16.
[0057] The tamper-evident ring 109 comprises a second region 120
that is externally delimited by a frustum conical wall 39 tilted by
an angle .beta. in relation to the knurled surface 6, in such a way
that the external diameter of the second region 120 increases
proceeding from the connecting zone 16 to the second edge 14.
[0058] FIG. 12 shows a tamper-evident ring 309 provided with a wall
portion 321 substantially similar to the wall portion 121 of the
tamper-evident ring 209 shown in FIG. 10.
[0059] The tamper-evident ring 309 differs from the tamper-evident
ring 209 by the fact that it comprises a second region 320 that is
externally delimited by a further frustum conical wall 40 tilted by
an angle .gamma. in relation to the knurled surface 6, in such a
way that the external diameter of the second region 320 diminishes
proceeding from the connecting zone 16 to the second edge 14.
[0060] FIG. 11 shows a tamper-evident ring 209 according to another
alternative version, in which the wall portion 221 that is
projected outwardly is provided with a cambered shape and is
delimited at the top by the first edge 13 and at the bottom by the
connecting zone 16.
[0061] The portions 121, 221 and 321 shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 make
it easier to expand radially the tamper-evident ring in such a way
that it can be positioned below the collar. In fact, the portions
of side wall that project towards the outside of the cap act as
deformation initiators, enabling the first region 19 of the
tamper-evident ring to more easily take on a cambered shape, and
thus facilitating the expansion of the connecting zone 16.
[0062] Furthermore, the second regions 20, 120, 320, having a
reduced thickness due to the tilted surface 30, can be more easily
deformed whilst they are forced underneath the collar 31, which
enables the torque required to apply the cap 1 to be further
reduced. Despite this, the flaps 17 ensure that the tamper-evident
ring cannot be removed from the neck 31.
[0063] In FIG. 14, there is shown a tamper-evident ring 409 of the
type suitable for being broken when the cup body 2 is removed from
the bottle and remaining anchored to the cup body 2 by means of a
bridge 37. In a version that is not shown, instead of a single
bridge, a plurality of bridges can be provided.
[0064] The tamper-evident rings of this type are provided with a
weakening zone 38 that crosses the side wall means 15 parallel to
the neck of the bottle, along which the tamper-evident ring 9
breaks when the consumer removes the cap.
[0065] Owing to the great deformability of the side wall means, the
weakening zone may be very deep and therefore easily break during
removal of the cap without breaking during application of the
latter.
[0066] On the other hand, in the stiff tamper-evident zones of the
prior art the weakening zone has to be shallow. As a result, if the
weakening zone crosses the flap, removal is much less easy than is
the case if the weakening zone occupies the sectors interposed
between the flaps.
[0067] It is therefore necessary to obtain the weakening zone at a
sector that separates two adjacent flaps. The machines of the state
of the art thus require adjusting devices that enable the weakening
line to be obtained in a preset position.
[0068] On the contrary, in a cap according to the invention, the
weakening line can be obtained in any position, indifferently
through the flaps or through the sectors.
[0069] As the weakening zone may be very deep, the break during the
phase of cap removal will be easy.
[0070] This enables the prior-art cap-producing machines to be
simplified, making it unnecessary to use complicated adjusting
devices.
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