U.S. patent application number 12/022508 was filed with the patent office on 2008-10-02 for cap for bottles containing edible oil and other food liquids.
This patent application is currently assigned to BETAPACK, S.A.. Invention is credited to ALBERTO OCHOA LABURU.
Application Number | 20080237178 12/022508 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38326517 |
Filed Date | 2008-10-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080237178 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
OCHOA LABURU; ALBERTO |
October 2, 2008 |
CAP FOR BOTTLES CONTAINING EDIBLE OIL AND OTHER FOOD LIQUIDS
Abstract
Cap for bottles containing edible oil, which makes it possible
to minimise the dimensions of the cap, with the advantages of
reducing the weight and saving on raw materials that this involves,
maintaining its high performance in terms of the safety, sealing
and hygiene of the closure, comprising a body that consists of a
sealing skirt that is attached to the neck of the container and a
lid that is hinged to said sealing skirt, the skirt and the lid
initially being joined by a plurality of sealing points, comprising
a pourer that has a flat staggered section that rests on the edge
of the neck of the container and a central lattice whose periphery
is weakly joined to the body of the pourer, also comprising a
sealing disc that is thermosealed to the pourer by the flat
staggered section and the central lattice, said disc presenting a
circumferential pre-cut line that is situated between the flat
staggered area and the neck of the container.
Inventors: |
OCHOA LABURU; ALBERTO;
(IRUN, ES) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CANTOR COLBURN, LLP
20 Church Street, 22nd Floor
Hartford
CT
06103
US
|
Assignee: |
BETAPACK, S.A.
IRUN (GUIPUZCOA)
ES
|
Family ID: |
38326517 |
Appl. No.: |
12/022508 |
Filed: |
January 30, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
215/245 ;
215/252 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 41/485 20130101;
B65D 2251/0015 20130101; B65D 51/228 20130101; B65D 23/065
20130101; B65D 2251/0093 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
215/245 ;
215/252 |
International
Class: |
B65D 41/00 20060101
B65D041/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 30, 2007 |
ES |
200700201 |
Claims
1. Cap for bottles containing edible oil, which comprises A body
including a sealing skirt that is attached to a neck of the
container and a lid that is hinged to said sealing skirt, the skirt
and the lid initially being joined by a plurality of sealing points
A pourer that has a flat staggered section that rests on an edge of
the neck of the container, and a central area, in the form of a
lattice, a periphery of which is weakly joined to a body of the
pourer A sealing disc or foil thermosealed to the pourer by the
flat staggered section and the central lattice of the pourer, said
disc presenting a circumferential pre-cut line that is situated
between the flat staggered section and the neck of the
container.
2. Cap for bottles containing edible oil according to claim 1,
wherein the detachable central lattice of the pourer comprises a
disc with arms and gaps, from the disc of which bends emerge to
form a ring pull.
3. Cap for bottles containing edible oil according to claim 1,
wherein the periphery of the lid of the body of the cap presents a
tab for opening the lid, which is situated opposite an articulation
hinge.
4. Cap for bottles containing edible oil according to claim 1,
wherein sealing points are included between the lid and ring of the
body of the cap, which are made of the same material as the
cap.
5. Cap for bottles containing edible oil according to claim 1,
wherein the sealing foil has a circumferential pre-cut line that is
situated in a proximal area and is slightly off-centre in relation
to a weakened area that joins the body of the pourer and a ring
pull of said pourer.
6. Cap for bottles containing edible oil according to claim 1,
wherein the sealing skirt has weakened notches or grooves that are
arranged vertically and parallel to one another.
7. Cap for bottles containing edible oil according to claim 1,
wherein the pourer and the neck of the container are joined by the
connection of complementary circumferential ribs provided thereon.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to a cap that is specially adapted for
use in bottles containing food liquids such as edible oils, the
contribution of which is that it consists of two pieces, the body
and the pourer, which have been developed and designed according to
the criterion of minimising the dimensions of the cap as much as
possible, with the consequent advantages of reducing its weight and
saving on raw materials and transport, among other factors, whilst
maintaining the high performance of the means of safety, sealing
and hygiene or asepsis of the closure.
[0002] The cap has been devised and developed so that both its
fitting or attachment to the bottle, the neck of which has also
been reduced in height, and the removal of the seal and consequent
opening of the cap, is easy and requires minimal effort.
BRIEF DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART
[0003] Bottle caps are known in the state of the art, such as those
disclosed in Spanish Patent No. ES 2137076 and in European Patent
No. EP 685406, which consist of an outer body and an inner pourer,
the first of which is divided into two parts, the skirt and the
lid, joined by a detachable ring, which forms the safety seal,
until the cap is opened by detaching said safety seal.
[0004] The main disadvantage presented by this type of cap is its
considerable height and the fact that the outside of the bottle
neck must present peripheral flanges on which to rest and secure
the cap, the length of which is in accordance with that of said
cap.
[0005] Caps wherein the closure is complemented by a sealing foil
are also known, as in the case of European Patents No. EP 1080019
and No. EP 1080020, which disclose caps that consist of a pourer
that is secured to the container and a lid that fully or partially
protects the protruding part of the pourer, known as the pourer
mouth, but with the particularity that the lid and the pourer are
separate pieces, which are not joined by hinges or sealing links.
The centre of the pourer presents a lattice that is weakly joined
thereto, it being possible to detach said lattice by pulling a
conventional ring pull that is joined thereto, bringing with it the
part of the sealing disc that until then is heat-sealed to the neck
of the container. The sealing disc is broken when the lattice is
pulled by means of inner teeth formed on the pourer.
[0006] As has been said, in these caps disclosed in said European
Patents both the pourer and the lid are separate pieces that are
not joined together.
[0007] Within the same context is U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,618, wherein
the body of the lid can be detached from the body of the cap and
has a ring pull that pulls on a single-piece plastic disc, and with
it the sealing disc. The body of the cap is of a considerable
height, therefore involving a significant use of material due to
the dimensions thereof.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention provides a cap that, whilst presenting
all the sealing and tamper-proof characteristics offered by current
caps, has been simplified and lightened in order to achieve
additional advantages, such as a lighter weight and the consequent
saving of raw materials, among other factors.
[0009] This cap consists of three components, specifically: [0010]
Body [0011] Pourer [0012] Sealing disc
[0013] The body of the cap consists of two parts made from the same
material and in the same mould, which form a sealing ring that
surrounds and is fixed to the neck of the container and a
practicable lid that is hinged in relation to the sealing ring. The
sealing ring and the lid are connected to each other by a
butterfly-type hinge system and a plurality of sealing points,
which are broken for the first and only time when the lid is
opened.
[0014] The sealing ring, in turn, has a variable number of weakened
notches or grooves that are preferably arranged vertically and
parallel to one another, said grooves being made in the material of
the sealing ring during injection moulding of the assembly
consisting of said sealing ring and the practicable lid that is
initially attached thereto. The weakened grooves of the sealing
ring are designed to inform the user of any possible tampering with
the cap, so that if anyone tried to separate the sealing ring from
the neck of the container, one or more of the weakened grooves of
said ring would break.
[0015] Therefore, according to the above, the body of the cap has
two means of detecting possible tampering or interference with the
cap, one consisting of the weakened grooves of the sealing ring and
the other consisting of the links or sealing points that initially
join the lid to the sealing ring.
[0016] To aid the separation of the lid from the sealing ring, i.e.
to aid the opening and closure of the lid, it is provided with a
horizontal projection in the form of a tab.
[0017] The other element that constitutes the cap is the pourer,
the base of which presents a prominent circumferential lower rib
that connects with another outer circumferential rib of the
container, defining therebetween a firm connection of the pourer
and the container. This type of connection means that the contact
area between the cap and the neck of the container can be reduced
considerably, so that the contact is limited, in this case, to the
height of the sealing ring.
[0018] Above the joint area and, more specifically, in the area
where the pourer and the front part of the neck of the container
are aligned with each other, the pourer takes a flat form, which
then extends to the pourer mouth, which, in the closed position, is
inserted into a housing defined between a circumferential partition
that emerges from the lower base of the lid and the inner wall of
said lid. The pourer mouth and the lid are attached to each other
using an adequate degree of pressure to achieve a sealed closure
between the two parts.
[0019] A lattice with a ring pull extends from the flat part of the
pourer. Said lattice is joined to the body of the pourer by
weakened points, so that by pulling the ring pull it can be torn
off, bringing with it the aforementioned lattice.
[0020] The third element of the cap consists of the sealing disc,
which can be made from aluminium or from a multilayer complex of
synthetic or other materials, in any case materials that can be
thermosealed to the plastic material from which the pourer and the
container are made. The sealing disc presents a circumferential
pre-cut line to aid the tearing of the central part, as will be
seen below.
[0021] Before the cap is attached to the container, the sealing
disc is thermosealed to the pourer, said sealing disc covering both
the flat part of the pourer and the central lattice. Said sealing
disc, as has been said before, has a circumferential pre-cut line
that is situated underneath the flat part of the pourer, i.e.
outside the weakened links that join the lattice to the body of the
pourer, all of which is designed to prevent the seal being impaired
due to said pre-cut line, once the cap has been attached and
thermosealed to the container, which could easily happen if said
pre-cut line were aligned with the weakened links of the lattice or
simply situated underneath it.
[0022] The cap is supplied to the user with the sealing disc
thermosealed to the pourer and to its lattice. Once attached to the
container, said disc is thermosealed to the front edge of the
container, thereby completing the closure thereof.
[0023] Opening the cap involves the following operations:
[0024] Firstly, acting on the tab of the lid, which detaches it and
breaks the sealing points that until then joined it to the sealing
ring.
[0025] Then, the ring pull is pulled to tear off the central
lattice of the pourer, which is separated from the body of the
pourer by the weakened points provided for this purpose.
[0026] On pulling or tearing off the lattice, it brings with it the
part of the sealing disc that until then was joined to the neck of
the container, this tearing operation being aided by the pre-cut
line in said sealing disc.
[0027] Once the cap has been opened for the first time and the
sealing disc has been removed, the cap is sealed again by pressing
the lid onto the pourer. This seal can be aided or increased by
providing optional ribs or moulding on the contact areas.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0028] To complement this description and in order to aid towards a
better understanding of the invention's characteristics, there is a
set of illustrative and non-limiting drawings integral to said
description, which are as follows:
[0029] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the body of the cap of
the invention.
[0030] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the pourer that is part
of the cap of the invention.
[0031] FIG. 3 shows a cross-section of the cap as a whole attached
to the container.
[0032] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the cross section shown
in FIG. 3, in which the container is not shown, and where the
off-centred situation of the circumferential pre-cut line of the
sealing foil in the area where the ring is torn from the pourer can
be seen in an enlarged detail.
[0033] FIG. 5 shows a cross-section of the container with the
pourer joined thereto, with the cap in an open position and the
lattice detached from the pourer, with part of the sealing disc
adhered thereto.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0034] In FIG. 1, it can be observed that the cap (1) consists of
the lid (2) and the sealing ring (3). The two bodies are joined by
the conventional butterfly-type hinge (5), which is made from the
same plastic material, the flexibility of which allows the lid (2)
to be detached from the ring (3).
[0035] The sealing ring (3), as can be observed in FIG. 3, is
attached to the neck of the container (14), for which the inner rib
(15) of said ring (3) is retained by the first rib (16) of the neck
of the container (14).
[0036] Returning to FIG. 1, it can be observed that the ring (3)
includes weakened grooves (4), preferably arranged vertically and
parallel to one another, which breaks one or more of the weakened
grooves when the sealing ring is manipulated, providing evidence of
the tampering or the attempt to tamper with the cap.
[0037] Initially, the lid is joined to the sealing disc by a number
of links or sealing points (7). To open the lid (2), opposite the
hinge (5) there is a tab (6) on the outer edge of the lid (2),
which protrudes considerably so that it is convenient and simple to
actuate with the action of a finger. When the lid (2) is first
opened, the sealing points (7) are broken, which until then joined
the lid to the sealing ring (3). These sealing points (7), which
are made of the same plastic material as the cap during the
injection process, present only a small resistance to tearing when
the lid is opened, which would also provide clear evidence of any
tampering with the cap if these weakened points were broken.
[0038] FIG. 2 shows the body of the pourer (8), which is a
basically cylindrical body of revolution that is attached to the
neck of the container by the connection between a circumferential
inner rib (18) on the pourer and a circumferential outer rib (17)
on the neck of the container (14). This connection of the pourer
and the container can be seen more clearly in the cross section
shown in FIG. 3.
[0039] In this central area of the body of the pourer (8), there is
a lattice (8') consisting of a ring (9) with arms (11), gaps (24)
and a ring pull (12), this lattice being joined to the body of the
pourer (8) by a weakened link (20).
[0040] The cap (1) is supplied with the pourer (8) attached to the
body of the cap (1) and with the sealing disc thermosealed thereto,
more specifically with the sealing disc thermosealed to the lattice
(8') of the pourer (8) and to the horizontal bend (22) situated
above the connection area of the pourer and the neck of the
container.
[0041] Two bends (13) project from said lattice (8'), extending in
a ring pull (12). By pulling said ring pull (12) it can be torn and
separated from the pourer by the weakened link (20).
[0042] Before it is attached to the pourer (8), the sealing disc
(21) is provided with a circumferential pre-cut line (23) to aid
its detachment and removal by the lattice (8') once this is
detached from the pourer (8) by pulling the ring pull (12).
[0043] FIG. 3 shows the cap (1) attached to the neck of the
container (14) in a closed position. In this figure it can be
observed that the sealing disc (21) is positioned between the neck
of the container (14) and the flat bend (22) of the pourer (8) and
thermosealed thereto.
[0044] FIG. 5 shows the lid (2) in a partially open position by
rotation on the hinge (5). The lattice (8') is detached and it can
be observed that part of the sealing disc (21) is adhered thereto.
The remains (22) of the sealing disc (21) remain between the pourer
(8) and the neck of the container (14).
[0045] Once the cap has been opened for the first time and the
central lattice of the pourer has been torn off, the lid is sealed
by the contact between the pourer mouth (19) of the pourer (8) and
a circumferential inner partition of the lid (2). This contact seal
and pressure can be improved by using complementary ribs or
mouldings on the parts that come into contact.
* * * * *