Technical Field of the Invention

Invention herewith described, generally, refers to the closures, i.e. elements which have parts for gripping external peripheries of neck or wall which defines an opening for pouring or emptying, and more precisely to the closures combined with stoppers which can be deformed, i.e. combined with elastic stoppers, and are used for closing different types of bottles and containers for different capacities.

According to the International Patent Classification, this invention is sorted, i.e. classed and marked with classification symbols B65D 41/28 and B65D 41/30.

Technical problem

Technical problem which is solved by herewith explained invention consists in the following: how to constructionally solve a single part closure for single use with a vacuum tigtht layer below which underpressure should be achieved in order to make it permanent on the container and to provide complete tightness all up to the loss of the vacuum being fulfilled by punching the closure onto thereto determined weak spot.

State-of-Art

Generally known are different constructions of closures for closing fluid and solid materials, from metal crown caps to closures applied onto beer cans and other beverages or boxes for milk packages.

The shortcoming of the simplest closures is that these do not provide complete tightness, while more modern solutions are more expensive whereby for opening the container at least two steps are required, and there is a possiblity of hurting the fingers of the user.

The advantage of herewith described solution, compared to the known state of art, is in the complete tightness of the container, easy and safe opening, low price and artistic design, whereby the container is punched in a unique and engaging way and thus a specific sound effect follows the opening. No additional tools are required for opening, therewith this one is different from crown and similar single-use closures, the opening of which requires an opener. Sanitarily it is very efficient, thus outlining the difference from, e.g. a can, where the metal part which is in contact with the environment is punched, during opening and hence the liquid which is being consumed comes into contact with that part which is pushed inside, which can be dusty, dirty, etc.

The closure is used for vacuum tight closing of bottles/containers with no thread. Upon opening (removing the closure from the container), the closure becomes functionally and technically useless and therefore unsuitable for closing any other bottle/container. In such a way, better protection of the original product from illegal counterfeiting (fakes) is provided, compared to the so far known solutions.

As in the above described reasons (closure upon opening becomes functionally and technically useless), the closure can be more in use with products intended for instant consumption i.e. have to be used immediately upon opening and due to the characteristics of the product itself (e.g. highly perishable upon opening) or due to the wish of the producer to influence the speed/frequency of consumption of the product in this way .

Searching the patent documentation and reviewing professional works in this field, and the knowledge on market promoting, no similar solution of the set out technical problem has been found.

Brief description of the Invention

Closure in the subject of the invention is used for closing all types of containers of different capacity. Its construction consists of a single profiled metal form shaped, according to the process of mechanical extraction, in a prevously prepared mould. Cylindrical body obtained in such a way, has vertical stiffenings achieved along the perimeter, while the conical part along the perimeter has slanted stiffenings achieved, and where a line of weak resistance is impressed in the base of the slanted part in the segment of the perimeter, along which the closure is punched by exerting pressure on the top unribbed surface of conical part. In the inside of the cylindrical body a rubber gasket is applied.

The finished closure is put onto the container which is automatically closed on a special machine where the needed_vacuum is achieved and thus keeps the closure on the container permanently, all up to the moment when by pressing the upper surface of the conical part it is punched and therewith outside and inside pressures of the container are made equal, thus removing of the closure is enabled. Short description of the figures of the drawing

Invention is described in details in the example of embodiment shown in the figures of drawing, in a large-scale view, where:

Figure 1- represents a lateral representation of the closure with a partial cross-section, Figure 2- represents a closure in the top view,

Figure 3- represents a partial cross-section of the closure fixed on the container, Figure 4- represents the closure, in the bottom view in an isonometric representation, Figure 5- represents a closure in an isonometric representation and

Figure 6- represents a detail A from Figure 5 with a show of a segment with therein impressed a line of weak resistance for punching the closure.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Closure consists of a single profiled metal form being, from a previously prepared mould, extracted in a mechanical process of extraction, while shaping a cylindrical body (1) with along the perimeter achieved vertical stiffenings 5 and the conical part (2) with along the perimeter achieved slanted stiffenings 4, whereby in the base of the slanted part in the segment 3 of the perimeter, following an arch of e.g. 90°, is impressed a line of weak resistance along which punching the closure by pressing the upper smooth surface of the conical part 2 is done. In the inside of cylindrical body on the resting spot onto the container 7 there is applied a rubber gasket 6. Depending on the desired application, the closure can be produced from an alloy of aluminium, steel, brass or some other metal. The rubber gasket 6 properly fits and tights, and is made of a foodstuff rubber, and can be used as a plastic material which is no threat to human health. Constructional solution provides a proper stiffness of the closure, and for the purpose of preventing fingers injuries when removing from the container the edges are bent in a way appropriate to fulfill the desired form.

Finished closure is put on the container 7 which is automatically closed on a special machine, where it is properly oriented, by leading it onto a positioning head and achieving the required vacuum by removing the underpressure in the environment, therewith the closure remains permanently on the container (7), and all up to the moment when, by exerting pressure onto the top face of the conical part (2), the segment (3) is punched along the line of weak resistance and therewidth pressures from outside and inside the container are made equal, thus removing of the closure is enabled. Hence, when vacuum is created, the closure is deformed, i.e. widened and the pressure onto the inside wall of the container is carried out and when by pressing the conical part onto thereto determined weak part the closure is punched, the pressures are made equal and thus the pressure onto the inside walls decreases hence removing of the closure is enabled.

The closure demands no special shaping and manufacturing the tightening surfaces except for being flat and smooth. The only condition is to achieve underpressure in the space below the closure in order to make it remain on the container permanently and all up to the moment of it being punched in the segment 3 along the determined line of weak resistance, and by pressing the conical part 2 when there comes to equilization of the pressure in the container 7 with the pressure of the environment. This condition means that the containers are not filled to the top, but that there has to be some empty space which should be at least 10 % of the total capacity of the container.