WO1994026615A1

WO1994026615A1 - Container closures

Info

Publication number: WO1994026615A1
Application number: PCT/GB1994/000873
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jack Frank Pennell
Original assignee: Jack Frank Pennell
Priority date: 1993-05-07
Filing date: 1994-04-25
Publication date: 1994-11-24
Also published as: GB9309493D0; AU6543294A

Abstract

A closure for a container for potable liquids such as beers comprises a skirt portion (16) to encircle a neck (4) of the container, and a cover portion (10) to be seated over the end face of the neck to seal the neck to prevent ingress or egress. The skirt portion comprises retaining means (14) to retain it on the neck, and is connected to the cover portion by frangible connection means (22) and non-frangible connections means (24), enabling the cover portion to be lifted from the neck of the container, whilst retaining the cover portion and the skirt portion connected together. Preferably the skirt portion is provided with a slot or groove (20) enabling the skirt portion to be divided, to assist the easy removal thereof from the container neck.

Description

Title: Container Closures Description of Invention

This invention is concerned with improvements relating to container closures, particularly for containers used to contain potable liquids such as beer.

The term "beer" is used herein generically as including mild and bitter beers, stouts, ales, lagers and the like.

Difficulty is encountered in the provision of a container closure for barrels containing relatively large volumes of potable liquid (e.g. in excess of 5 litres) which are reusable. The requirement is that the closure be tamper- evidence, that is provides a visible indication of any attempt to tamper with the contents of the container prior to opening for use.

A conventional container closure comprises a cover portion adapted to seat over the end of a neck of the container to close the neck, and a skirt portion adapted to encircle the neck to retain the closure in position on the container, frangible connection means being provided for connecting the cover portion to the skirt portion. Conventionally the skirt portion is provided with retaining means to retain the closure on the neck of the container whilst the closure is intact. Thus, the skirt portion may comprise resilient engagement formations on an interior face thereof which may be moved beneath the rim of the neck, so retaining the skirt portion on the neck, and with it the cover portion whilst the closure is intact. By removing the cover portion, conventionally by lifting a tab provided on the circumference of the cover portion, the frangible connection means may be broken, and the cover portion may be removed from the skirt portion and lifted from the neck. The contents of the container are thus available for use.

However such a conventional closure requires that the skirt portion be retained on the neck, and when the container is returned for cleaning and refilling, it is necessary to cut the skirt portion to remove it from the neck.

According to this invention there is provided a container closure comprising a cover portion adapted to seat over the end of the neck of a container to close the neck, a skirt portion adapted to encircle the neck to retain the closure in position on the container, and connection means for connecting the cover portion to the skirt portion, characterised in that the construction and arrangement is such that, in consequence of lifting the cover portion from the container, the skirt portion is also detached from the container.

In this way when opening the container the skirt portion may be discarded conveniently with the cover portion, and the step of removing the skirt portion alone from the neck of the container at a later stage is obviated.

Advantageously the connection means comprises frangible connection means enabling the cover portion to be lifted from the neck, and non-frangible connection means to retain the cover portion and skirt portion together. Preferably the cover portion comprises a member (conveniently afforded by a tab) to assist the removal of the cover portion from the neck.

Preferably the frangible connection means connects the cover portion to the skirt portion at spaced intervals around the circumference of the cover portion, and the non-frangible connection means is located at a position generally diametrically opposite to the tab.

In this way the tab may be lifted to enable the cover portion to be released from the skirt by breaking the frangible connection means, but is retained connected to the skirt portion by the non-frangible connection means.

Preferably the skirt portion comprises means to enable it to be released from the neck when the frangible connection means has been broken. Thus preferably the skirt portion is divided - i.e. does not completely encircle the neck. For example, the skirt portion may be in the form of a band which when the closure is intact comprises opposite ends which are closely adjacent, but which are not connected together directly or connected together only by frangible means, either directly or by virtue of the frangible connection means connecting the cover portion to the skirt portion.

Preferably the non-frangible connection means is located adjacent to one of said ends of the band. Alternatively the skirt portion may be continuous, being provided with a slot or groove enabling the skirt portion to be broken, and conveniently such slot or groove will be provided adjacent to, and to one side of, the non-frangible connection means.

Preferably the closure is provided with retaining means to retain the closure on the neck of the container whilst the closure is intact. Thus preferably the skirt portion comprises resilient engagement formations on an interior face thereof which may be moved against the rim of the neck, but with the closure intact prevents the closure being removed from the neck.

According to this invention there is also provided a container closure comprising a cover portion adapted to seat over the end of the neck of a container to close the neck, a skirt portion adapted to encircle the neck to retain the closure in position on the container, and connections means for connecting the cover portion to the skirt portion, characterised in that the connection means comprises frangible connection means and non-frangible connection means.

There will now be given a detailed description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of a container closure which is the preferred embodiment of this invention, having been selected for the purposes of illustrating the invention by way of example.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment;

FIGURE 2 is an underneath plan view of the preferred embodiment;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the closure on the neck of a container; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view showing the closure having been removed from the neck of the container.

The container closure which is the preferred embodiment of this invention is particularly for closing the neck 4 of a container 2 for containing relative large volumes of potable liquid, such as beer barrels, and is particularly for use with containers which are in general reused. The term "beer" is used herein generically, as including light beers, dark beers, white beers, mild and bitter beers, stouts, ales, lagers, etc.

The closure comprises a skirt portion 6 adapted to encircle the neck 4 of the container, and a cover portion 10 adapted to be seated over the end face of the neck 4 of the container as shown in Figure 2, to seal the neck to prevent the undesired escape of the contents of the container, and to prevent the ingress of undesired materials.

The skirt portion is provided at spaced intervals around the interior face 12 thereof with engagement formations 14, the skirt portion 6 and/or the engagement formations 14 being sufficiently resilient to enable the closure to be pressed onto the neck of the container, with the engagement formations 14 moving outwardly over a rim 16 of the neck, and snap-fitting into engagement with the rim 16 on the underside thereof, as shown in Figure 2, to retain the closure in position on the neck.

Conveniently engagement formations 14 of different sizes may be provided, to enable the skirt portion to be snap fitted onto the rim of a neck of one of two different sizes.

The cover portion 10 is provided with a tab 18 in conventional manner, whilst the skirt portion 6 is generally in the form of a band, there being a slot 20 defined by adjacent end faces of the band, at a position located generally diametrically opposite to the tab 18.

The cover portions connected to the skirt portion 6 by frangible connection means 22, located at spaced intervals generally around the circumference of the cover portion 10, and by a non-frangible connection means 24 located to one side of the slot 20. In this manner, by lifting the tab 18 in a conventional way, the cover portion 10 may be lifted from the neck of the container by progressively breaking the frangible connection means 22 progressively towards the slot 20 as the cover portion 10 is lifted from the neck. When the end most frangible connection means 22 adjacent to the slot 20 have been ruptured, the skirt portion 6 is retained connected to the cover portion 10 only by the non-frangible connection means 24, allowing the skirt portion 6 to free itself from the circumference of the neck, and to be removed from the container with the cover portion 10, as shown in Figure 4.

The slot 20 may extend completely through the skirt portion 6 in both axial and radial directions. However as shown, the upper (inner) end of the slot may terminate in a frangible bridge portion. Alternatively or in addition the slot may extend only part way through the thickness of the skirt portion, being in the form of an internal axial groove, such that an outer wall of the skirt portion appears continuous, although being frangible to allow separation of the ends of the skirt portion.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

1- A container closure comprising a cover portion ( 10) adapted to seat over the end of the neck (4) of a container to close the neck, a skirt portion (6) adapted to encircle the neck to retain the closure in position on the container, and connection means (22, 24) connecting the cover portion to the skirt portion, characterised in that the construction and arrangement is such that, in consequence of lifting the cover portion (10) from the container (2), the skirt portion (6) is also detached from the container.

2. A container closure according to Claim 1 wherein the connection means comprises frangible connection means (22) enabling the cover portion (10) to be lifted from the neck (4), and non-frangible connection means to retain the cover portion (10) and the skirt portion (6) together.

3. A container closure according to Claim 2 wherein the cover portion comprises a member (18) to assist the removal of the cover portion (10) from the neck (4).

4. A container closure according to Claim 3 wherein the frangible connection means (22) connects the cover portion (10) to the skirt portion (6) at spaced intervals around the circumference of the cover portion, and the non- frangible connection means (24) is located at a position generally diametrically opposite to the removal assisting member ( 18).

5. A container closure according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the skirt portion (6) comprises means (20) to enable it to be released from the neck (4) when the frangible connection means (22) has been broken.

6. A container closure according to Claim 5 wherein the skirt portion is divided.

7. A container closure according to Claim 6 wherein opposite ends of the closure are connected together by frangible means.

8. A container closure according to Claim 7 wherein the non-frangible connection means (24) is located adjacent to one of said ends of the skirt portion.

9. A container closure according to Claim -5 wherein the skirt portion (6) is continuous, being provided with a slot or groove (20) enabling the skirt portion to be broken.

10. A container closure according to any one of the preceding claims comprising retaining means (14) to retain the closure on the neck (4) of the container whilst the closure is intact.

11. A container closure according to Claim 10 wherein the retaining means comprises resilient engagement formations (14) on an interior face thereof which may be moved against the rim ( 16) of the neck (4), but with the closure intact prevents the closure being removed from the neck.

12. A container closure according to one of Claims 10 and 11 comprising retaining means to fit containers of different sizes.

13. A container closure comprising a cover portion ( 10) adapted to seat on the end of the neck (4) of a container (2) to close the neck, a skirt portion (6) adapted to encircle the neck to retain the closure in position on the container, and connection means connecting the cover portion to the skirt portion, characterised in that the connection means comprises frangible connection means (22) and non-frangible connection means (24).

14. A container comprising a neck (4) having a rim (16), and mounted over the rim a closure according to any one of the preceding claims.

15. A container according to Claim 14, containing beer.

16. A container closure constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.