Container Closure Having Sealing Cap And Fastening Ring

Abstract

A container closure assembly made up of a synthetic plastic closure flange, a closure plug and an overlying synthetic plastic cap seal including a metal securing ring. The closure assembly is applied as a unit to an upstanding neck formation surrounding a container wall opening and secured in place by clinching the metal securing ring radially inwardly about is periphery. Access to the closure plug is achieved by tearing away the center portion of the cap seal leaving the remainder of the closure assembly firmly secured to the container.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A need has arisen for an efficient, economical closure for containers and particularly containers formed of synthetic plastic material. A number of closure arrangements have been proposed which have failed in one respect or another to satisfy all the requirements of the instant closure application. At the outset a closure arrangement responding to the above described need requires an externally threaded plug to afford effective sealing under severe use conditions. The pour opening which the plug seals off must be of a sufficient diameter to provide efficient dispensing of relatively viscous fluids. It is also essential that a sufficiently large fill opening be provided for efficient handling of such viscous fluids. In addition to the primary closure provided by the above mentioned plug, a tamperproof seal is required to fully meet the needs of the container industry. Finally, the economic factor must be considered in providing a closure in line with acceptable container costs.

The closure assembly of the invention advantageously takes into account all of the above mentioned requirements in disclosing a synthetic plastic closure flange for application to an upstanding neck formation surrounding a suitably large container wall fill opening. The flange is formed with a threaded opening for reception of a synthetic plastic closure plug. A synthetic plastic tamperproof cap seal including an annular metal securing ring, engaged about the cap periphery, overlies the flange and plug. The above described closure assembly is sealingly engaged to the upstanding container wall opening neck by forming the metal securing ring radially inwardly about its periphery. Access to the closure plug is gained by tearing away the center portion of the tamperproof cap seal leaving the remainder of the closure assembly permanently secured to the container.

It is accordingly a principal object of the invention to provide a new closure assembly for containers.

Another object is to provide a substantially all plastic closure flange, plug and tamperproof seal assembly for application as a unit to containers.

A further object is to provide a plastic closure flange, plug and overlying tamperproof seal assembly to a container opening neck by utilizing a single securing means for locking the flange and overlying seal to the container opening neck.

Other and more detailed objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out as the description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing proceeds.

In that drawing:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the container closure assembly combination of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the combination in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the closure assembly loosely in place on a container opening neck;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 with the closure assembly permanently secured to the container opening neck; and

FIG. 5 is a part elevational part sectional view of the container closure assembly showing the tamperproof seal partially torn away.

Considering the complete container closure assembly as shown in FIG. 1, a container wall 1, shown for purposes of illustration as molded of synthetic plastic material, is found with a suitably large fill opening 2 surrounded by an upstanding neck 3 terminating in an enlarged circumferential bead 4. A closure flange 5 is formed of synthetic plastic material having a downwardly extending neck 6 internally threaded as indicated at numeral 7. A gasketing seat 8 is formed at the upper end of the thread formation 7. An integrally molded annular sealing portion 9 is formed at the upper end of the flange neck 6 including an upwardly extending inner wall 10, a radially outwardly extending top wall 11 and a downwardly extending outer peripheral wall 12 terminating at its lowermost end in a radially inwardly extending lip 13. A closure plug 14 is provided having an externally threaded body 15 terminating at its up end in a gasket receiving seat 16 and a radially enlarged circumferential head 17. A sealing gasket 18 surrounds the plug body 15 beneath the head 17 and in engagement with the seat 16. The assembly is completed with a tamperproof overlying seal 19. The seal 19 includes a cap 20 formed of synthetic plastic having a lower cylindrical wall 21 and an upper cylindrical wall 22 displaced radially inwardly from the lower wall 21 with an annular radially extending web 23 interconnecting the upper end of the lower wall 21 and the lower end of the upper wall 22. A tearing zone 24 is located at the juncture of the web 23 and the upper wall 22. The uppermost end of the upper wall 22 is in turn connected to a circular top wall 25. As also seen in FIG. 2 a pair of diametrically opposed perforated ears 26 extend radially outwardly from the lowermost edge of the lower wall 21 for attachment of an identifying tag if desired. An annular metal securing ring 27 forms a part of the seal 19 surrounding the lower portion of the cap 20. As clearly seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 the ring 27 has a lower skirt portion 28 provided with a slight downward and radially outward flare. The upper end of the skirt 28 is joined to a radially inwardly extending lip 29 which closely overlies the annular web 23 of the cap 20.

In FIG. 3 the closure assembly is shown as a complete factory assembled unit with the plug 14 threadedly engaged within the flange opening 7 causing the plug gasket 17 to sealingly engage the flange gasketing seat 8. In addition the tamperproof seal 19 is fitted over the flange 9 with the lower wall 21 and web 23 of the cap 20 in engagement respectively with the outer wall 12 and top wall 11 of the flange 9. The closure assembly is then loosely applied to the upstanding container opening neck 3. The application of a light downward pressure forces the lip 13 radially outwardly about the container neck bead 4. The outward flare of the securing ring wall 28 permits the necessary circumferential expansion of the underlying cap wall 12 to allow the lip 13 to snap over the bead 4 and snugly engage the opening neck 13.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the securing ring wall 28 is then crimped radially inwardly about its periphery permanently securing the entire closure assembly to the container opening neck 3. The resulting compression of the adjacent top wall 21 and flange wall 12 against the opening neck 3, which is further radially reinforced by the flange inner wall 10, effectively seals off any possible leakage path around the neck opening 2 and in addition precludes unauthorized access to the container contents.

In FIG. 5 it is clearly illustrated how authorized access to the closure plug 14 is gained by simply inserting a suitably sharp implement such as a knife or a screwdriver into the tearing zone 24. The center portion of the cap 29 including the top wall 25 and the upper cylindrical wall 22, is then easily torn away completely exposing the closure plug 14. The original sealed condition of the container is fully preserved, however, with regard to preventing a leakage path between the opening neck and the flange since the securing ring 27 remains in place tightly compressing the cap lower wall 21 and web 23 about the periphery of the flange 5. A highly efficient, substantially all plastic container closure assembly is accordingly provided utilizing a single metal securing ring for effectively serving the dual purposes of permanently affixing both a closure flange and an overlying tamperproof seal to a container opening neck.

Claims

Having described my invention what I claim is as follows:

1. A closure assembly for containers comprising a container wall having an opening surrounded by an upstanding neck, a closure flange overlying said opening defining an axial dispensing passage, a screw thread formed along said passage, an annular sealing portion surrounding said dispensing passage seated on said neck, a cap formed of synthetic plastic material including a top wall overlying said flange dispensing passage, a cylindrical cap sidewall depending from said top wall having a lower wall portion tightly engaged around said flange sealing portion and a metal securing ring tightly engaged around said cap lower wall portion compressing said cap lower wall portion and said flange sealing portion against said upstanding neck.

2. A closure assembly as in claim 1 and said cap including a tearing section whereby said cap top wall can be torn away leaving said flange and said cap lower wall portion sealingly engaged about said neck by said securing ring.

3. A closure assembly as in claim 1 wherein said flange sealing portion comprises an upstanding inner wall connected at its upper end to a radially outwardly extending annular top wall joining a downwardly extending outer wall.

4. A closure assembly as in claim 1 wherein said cap lower wall portion is connected to a radially inwardly extending web joined at its radially inner extent to an upwardly extending upper wall portion, the uppermost end of said upper wall portion being connected to said cap top wall.

5. A closure assembly as in claim 4 and including a circumferential tearing section formed at the juncture of said cap web and said upper wall portion.

6. A closure assembly as in claim 4 wherein said metal securing ring comprises a radially extending annular lip overlying said flange sealing portion top wall and connected to a downwardly extending outer wall surrounding said cap lower wall portion.