| WO/2009/104106 | SPRAYER, IN PARTICULAR FOR MEDICAL USE |
| JP10245072 | PACKAGING CONTAINER AND DISTRIBUTOR FOR VISCOUS SUBSTANCE |
| JP3457404 | DEPRESSION HEAD OF LIQUID DISCHARGER |
SASOL OIL (PTY) LTD (1 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, 2196 Johannesburg, ZA)
HALL, Kenneth, Michael (The Braes, 193 Bryanston DriveCnr William Nicol & Bryanston Driv, Bryanston 2021 Johannesburg, ZA)
| Claims
1. A closure system for a plastics container, said container having a neck portion leading to an opening, the system including:
- a cap having: o a deformable shoulder zone configured to abut against an inner surface of the neck portion of the container; o a lip portion configured to, in use, overlap an external surface of the neck portion of the container; and
- restraining means for limiting the deformation of the shoulder zone in the direction of the lip portion.
2. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cap is made of metal.
3. A system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the restraining means is a stiff ring sized and dimensioned to fit snuggly onto the outer surface of the neck portion of the container.
4. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the restraining means is a glass filled nylon ring or a metal ring.
5. A system as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the restraining means is integral with the neck portion.
6. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the restraining means is a stiff portion of the neck portion.
7. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the restraining means is made of the same plastics material as the neck portion.
8. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein an aperture is provided in the cap for a fluid flow tube which, in use, allows fluid to flow from the interior of the then sealed container to the exterior for use.
9. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a seal ring is provided which is interposed between an upper edge of the neck portion and the cap to improve sealing.
10. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container is made of PET or polycarbonate.
11. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the container is a pressuriseable container.
12. A system as claimed in claim 10 or 11 , wherein where the container is an aerosol container it is capable of containing an LPG/paraffin mixture.
13. A system as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11 , wherein the container is used as a paraffin/LPG candle, a wick being provided in the cap and a wick protector for covering the wick.
14. A method of sealing a plasties container having a neck portion leading to an opening by the co-operation of a cap member having a shoulder zone and a restraining means, said method including:
- abutting the shoulder zone against an inner surface of the neck portion;
- radially deforming the shoulder zone to increase its diameter thereby to seal against the inner surface of the neck portion; and
- limiting the deformation of the shoulder zone to inhibit damage to the neck portion while permitting sufficient deformation to seal the shoulder zone against the inner surface of the neck portion.
15. A method as claimed in claim 14, including deforming a neck portion outer surface facing portion of the cap member towards the neck portion thereby to reinforce the seal.
16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the outer surface facing portion overlaps a portion of the neck portion.
17. A method as claimed in claim 15 or claim 16, wherein the deformation of the outer surface facing portion includes crimping of the cap.
18. A method as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the plastics container is a PET aerosol container.
19. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the plastics container is used to package paraffin with LPG gas for use in paraffin stoves.
20. A closure system for a plastics container as claimed in claim 1 , substantially as herein described and illustrated.
21. A method of sealing a plasties container as claimed in claim 14, substantially as herein described and illustrated.
22. A new system or a new method substantially as herein described. |
CLOSURE SYSTEM AND METHOD
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a closure system and a closure method for a container.
Background to the Invention
The inventor is aware that PET aerosol containers are usually closed with a crimped on metal cap in which the PET material of the container folds over a portion of the metal cap and then crimped together to form a seal.
This closure system and method of closing the container is mechanically complex and leads to increased costs.
Summary of the Invention
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a closure system for a plastics container, said container having a neck portion leading to an opening, the system including:
- a cap having: o a deformable shoulder zone configured to abut against an inner surface of the neck portion of the container; o a lip portion configured to, in use, overlap an external surface of the neck portion of the container; and
- restraining means for limiting the deformation of the shoulder zone in the direction of the lip portion.
The cap may be made of metal.
The restraining means may be a stiff ring sized and dimensioned to fit snuggly onto the outer surface of the neck portion of the container.
The restraining means may be a high tensile plastics material, for example a glass filled nylon ring, or a metal ring.
The restraining means may be integral with the neck portion.
The restraining means may be a stiff portion of the neck portion.
The restraining means may be made of the same plastics material as the neck portion.
An aperture may be provided in the cap for a fluid flow tube which, in use, allows fluid to flow from the interior of the then sealed container to the exterior for use.
A seal ring may be provided which is interposed between an upper edge of the neck portion and the cap to improve sealing.
In an embodiment where the aerosol is used as a paraffin/LPG candle, a wick may be provided in the cap and a wick protector for covering the wick.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of sealing a plastics container having a neck portion leading to an opening by the co-operation of a cap member having a shoulder zone and a restraining means, said method including:
- abutting the shoulder zone against an inner surface of the neck portion;
- radially deforming the shoulder zone to increase its diameter thereby to seal against the inner surface of the neck portion; and
- limiting the deformation of the shoulder zone to inhibit damage to the neck portion while permitting sufficient deformation to seal the shoulder zone against the inner surface of the neck portion.
The method may include deforming a neck portion outer surface facing portion of the cap member towards the neck portion thereby to reinforce the seal.
The outer surface facing portion may overlap a portion of the neck portion.
The deformation of the outer surface facing portion may include crimping of the cap.
The plastics container of the invention may be a PET aerosol container.
The plasties container may be a polycarbonate container.
The plasties container may be pressurisable.
The plasties container may be used to package paraffin with LPG gas for use in paraffin stoves.
Description of an Embodiment of the Invention
The invention will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying representations.
In the representations,
Reference numeral 10 generally indicates a PET aerosol container broadly in accordance with the invention.
The container may be made of polycarbonate which, although presently more costly than PET, has a higher temperature resistance, a higher physical strength and good transparency.
The container 10 has a neck portion 12 which is the same wall thickness as the rest of the container and has an inner surface 14, an outer surface 16 and an opening 18.
A cap 20 is provided which has an internal recess 22 which is defined by a shoulder zone 24 which has an internal recess facing surface 26 and a neck portion 12 facing surface 28. A further zone 27 of the cap 20 is located to the exterior of the cap and forms a sleeve 29 which, in use, overlaps the neck portion 12 outer surface 16. The cap 20 is made of deformable steel.
A ring 30, of steel in this example, is provided. However, the ring may be made of a glass filled nylon or other plastics material in which case the ring dimensions would be different in that the depth of the ring which is 2.1 mm for a steel ring would be 3.0 mm.
A seal 40 is made of resiliently deformable material.
In use, the ring 30 is placed over the outer surface 16 of the neck portion 12 and fits quite snugly thereover. The seal 40 is interposed between the cap 20 and the neck portion 12. The cap 20 is then placed onto the opening 18 of the container 10 with the recess 22 being placed into the opening 18 so that the surface 28 of the shoulder zone 24 overlaps and faces a portion of the inner surface 14.
The cap 20 is then deformed by application of a force to surface 26 thereby increasing the diameter of the surface 28. However, the extent of the deformation and thus, diameter increase, is limited by the snug fitting ring 30.
As the diameter increases the cap 20 seals against the neck portion 12. The outer zone 27 can then be crimped onto to the ring 30 to reinforce the seal.
In the embodiment shown, which is a paraffin/LPG aerosol candle, a wick protector 50 is placed over a wick 52 attached to lid 20. The wick protector 52 is removed prior to the wick being set aflame.
The inventor believes it to be an advantage of the invention as illustrated that the assembly of such an aerosol is simplified thereby reducing manufacturing costs thereof.