FOR A LIQUID BOTTLE

Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a closure with a tamper indication means adapted to be applied to a neck of a liquid bottle.

Description of Related Art

Closures with a tamper indication means are well known in the art; see, for example, PCT/GB2004/000189, UA88425. These closures are adapted to be applied to a neck of a liquid bottle and to form a closure assembly thereof. When a cap of the liquid bottle is opened for the first time, a single fall of an indication unit of the tamper indication means from the closure occurs and, as a result thereof, the indication unit of the tamper indication means evidences the first opening of the liquid bottle. Upon subsequent closing and opening of the cap of the closure, the indication unit continues providing the evidence of the opening of the liquid bottle.

The technical decision under Ukrainian Patent No. UA88425 has been taken as the prototype. Ukrainian Patent No. UA88425 discloses a closure and a tamper indication means for a liquid bottle.

The prior art closure comprising:

a cap comprising:

a female thread,

an internal axial holder configured as a pin,

a dispenser comprising:

a male thread which engages with said female thread of said cap, a dispensing opening for said liquid,

an opening for said axial holder,

at least one fixing means to fix said dispenser at the neck of said liquid bottle,

a stopper with a through hole which interfaces with the internal surface of the dispenser,

a tamper indication means disposed within said through hole of said stopper and comprising: a shank end located on one side of said tamper indication means; the shank end is provided with a fitment bore configured to secure the tamper indication means at the axial holder,

a tamper indication unit located on the side of the tamper indication means opposite to said shank end,

The prior art tamper indication means of a liquid bottle comprising: a shank end located on one side of said tamper indication means; the shank end is provided with a fitment bore configured to secure the tamper indication means at the axial holder, a tamper indication unit located on the side of the tamper indication means opposite to said shank end,

The prior art closure assembly for a liquid bottle comprising a neck of the bottle to which the above-mentioned closure is applied; closure comprises the above-mentioned tamper indication means.

In the prior art technical decision, when a shank end of the tamper indication means is fit onto an axial holder of the tamper indication means, air is within a fitment hole of the shank end which air prevents the shank end from being assembled with the axial holder. Therefore, the axial holder in the prior art device is configured with a cross-shaped cross section for venting this resulting in an unreliable connection between the closure and the tamper indication means. As a result thereof, the likelihood of the failure the said connection and of an accidental operation of the tamper indication means of the closure in the course of transportation of the closure from a location of its manufacture to a bottling line where the closure is applied to a neck of a liquid bottle is increased. Furthermore, an accidental operation of the tamper indication means in the course of transportation of a closed liquid bottle to the consumer is also possible. All these result in a decrease in the performance of the final product, i.e., a closed liquid bottle, and reduce the reliability of using the tamper indication means of the liquid bottle.

Summary of the invention

In view of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to prevent an accidental operation of a tamper indication means of a closure from occurring and to increase thereby the reliability of the closure and the closure assembly of a liquid bottle.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become evident from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In order to achieve the above object, in the prior art closure for a liquid bottle the closure comprising:

a cap comprising:

a female thread,

an internal axial holder configured as a pin,

a dispenser comprising:

a male thread which engages with said female thread of said cap, a dispensing opening for said liquid,

an opening for said axial holder,

at least one fixing means to fix said dispenser at the neck of said liquid bottle,

a stopper with a through hole which interfaces with the internal surface of the dispenser,

a tamper indication means disposed within said through hole of said stopper and comprising:

a shank end located on one side of said tamper indication means; the shank end is provided with a fitment bore configured to secure the tamper indication means at the axial holder,

a tamper indication unit located on the side of the tamper indication means opposite to said shank end,

in accordance with the present invention,

the additional hole is made in the shank end said additional hole communicating with a lower portion of said fitment bore and forming a stop edge, the axial holder being press-fitted in said fitment bore.

In order to achieve the above object, in the prior art tamper indication means for a liquid bottle the tamper indication means comprising: a shank end located on one side of said tamper indication means; the shank end is provided with a fitment bore configured to secure the tamper indication means at the axial holder,

a tamper indication unit located on the side of the tamper indication means opposite to said shank end,

in accordance with the present invention,

the additional hole is made in the shank end said additional hole communicating with a lower portion of said fitment bore and forming a stop edge, the axial holder being press-fitted in said fitment bore.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a closure assembly for a liquid bottle characterized by a neck of the liquid bottle to which neck a closure with a tamper indication means is applied with an opening being made at a shank end of the tamper indication means, said additional hole communicating with a lower portion of said fitment bore and forming a stop edge, the axial holder being press-fitted into said fitment bore.

The provision of the shank end with such additional hole communicating with the lower portion of said fitment hole ensures an unobstructed assembly of the axial holder with the shank end since, during said assembly, air which is within the fitment hole is vented readily therefrom via said additional hole. Moreover, the axial holder to fitment hole contact area is increased, and, due to the existence of the stop edge which is provided where the additional hole and the fitment hole cross and due to the press fit of the axial holder into the fitment hole, an improvement in the reliability of the connection of the axial holder and the tamper indication means is ensured this preventing the possibility of an incidental operation of the tamper indication means from occurring.

Also in accordance with the present invention the axial holder comprises at least one stop member. The existence of the stop member improves the reliability of the connection of the axial holder and the stop edge of the fitment hole, this also resulting in an improvement in the reliability of the connection of the tamper indication means and the closure.

Also in accordance with the present invention the fitment bore of the shank end comprises a tapered groove faced towards the axial holder. The existence of a tapered groove facilitates the process of mounting the tamper indication means to the axial holder this simplifying, and improving the reliability of, the production run when assembling the closure this also being an advantage of the present invention.

Also in accordance with the present invention the tamper indication means comprises a fastening element to fasten the indication unit. The existence of a fastening element makes the tamper indication means a knockdown one this ensuring, in the process of assembling the closure, the possibility to mount to the tamper indication means with the required indication unit. This reduces costs for designing and fabricating an additional set of molds to produce tamper indication means; ensures a higher degree of automation of a closure assembly line; ensures an increase in the interchangeability of components of the tamper indication means this making it possible to increase or to select a predetermined set of tamper indication means.

Also in accordance with the present invention the fastening element is configured as a pin at the end whereof a lock is disposed to engage with a mounting hole of the indication unit. This simplifies the assembling of tamper indication means at an assembly line and improves the operation reliability of the tamper indication means.

Also in accordance with the present invention at least one notch is provided at the shank end which notch extends radially to the fitment bore. The existence of a horizontal notch reduces loads on the shank end during the process of a press fit of the axial holder into the fitment bore at the closure assembly line thereby improving both efficiency and effectiveness of closure assembly line operation.

Also in accordance with the present invention the closure additionally comprising at least one stop of the axial holder disposed in the additional hole. The existence of an axial holder stop improves the reliability of connection of the axial holder and the fitment hole thereby improving the reliability of connection of the axial holder and the tamper indication means.

Also in accordance with the present invention the additional hole is blind.

The provision of the shank end of the tamper indication means with the additional blind hole which communicates with the lower portion of said fitment hole and forms the stop edge makes it possible to increase the stiffness of the shank end and to improve the effectiveness of assembling the closure at the closure assembly line. Also in accordance with the present invention at least one stop of the axial holder is disposed on the end face of the additional blind hole. The configuration of the additional hole as a blind hole and the arrangement thereof at the end face of the axial holder improve the reliability of connection of the axial holder and the fitment hole thereby improving the reliability of connection of the axial holder and the tamper indication means.

Also in accordance with the present invention at a top portion of the indication unit at least two stop pieces are disposed to contact to the walls of a hole of a stopper. The employment of stops decreases the amplitude of tamper indication means vibrations which occur when transporting the assembled closure or tamper indication means. Such decrease in the tamper indication means vibration amplitude improves the reliability of connection of the tamper indication means and the closure this lowering the likelihood of an incidental operation of the tamper indication means of the closure this also being an advantage of the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the description of various embodiments of the present invention, use is made of narrow terms. The present invention is not, however, restricted to the accepted terms and it should be kept in the mind that each such term encompasses all of the equipment elements which operate similarly and are employed to solve the same problems.

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional front view of a closure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a general view of the closure of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional general view of a closure assembly of a liquid bottle wherein a cap of the closure is disconnected from a dispenser.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional general view of a closure assembly of a liquid bottle wherein the cap of the closure is applied to the dispenser.

Fig. 5 is a general view of a tamper indication means of the closure.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional front view of the tamper indication means of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of the tamper indication means of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a front view of the tamper indication means of the closure wherein a notch is made at a shank end radially to a fitment hole.

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of the tamper indication means of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a top view of the tamper indication means of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a front view of the tamper indication means in the shank end whereof an additional blind hole is made which hole communicates with a lower portion of a fitment hole.

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional side view of the tamper indication means of Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a top view of the tamper indication means of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional front view of the closure with the tamper indication means, in the shank end whereof an additional blind hole is made with an axial holder stop being disposed on an end face thereof.

Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional front view of the tamper indication means of Fig. 14. Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional side view of the tamper indication means of Fig. 15. Fig. 17 is an exploded view of the tamper indication means which comprises a fastening element adapted to fasten an indication unit.

Fig. 18 is a view of the tamper indication means of Fig.17 in the assembled condition.

Fig. 19 is a cross-sectional front view of the tamper indication means of Fig. 18. Fig. 20 is a general view of the tamper indication means in an additional hole whereof an axial holder stop is disposed.

Fig. 21 is a cross-sectional front view of the tamper indication means of Fig. 20. Fig. 22 is a cross-sectional side view of the tamper indication means of Fig. 21. Fig. 23 is a cross-sectional general view of the closure with the tamper indication means wherein two stop pieces to contact to stopper hole walls are disposed at a top portion of the indication unit.

Fig. 24 is a general view of the tamper indication means of Fig. 23 which comprises the two stop pieces to contact to stopper hole walls.

Fig. 25 is a cross-sectional front view of the tamper indication means of Fig. 24. Fig. 26 is a cross-sectional side view of the tamper indication means of Fig. 25.

In accordance with the present invention a closure for a liquid bottle comprises a cap 1 , see fig. 1 , comprising: a female thread 2, an internal axial holder 3 configured as a pin. A dispenser 4 comprising: a male thread 5 which engages with said female thread 2 of the cap 1 , a dispensing opening 6 for the liquid and an opening 7 for the axial holder 3. A fixing means 8 to fix said dispenser at the neck 23 of said bottle 24, see fig. 3-4. A stopper 9 with a through hole 10 which interfaces with the internal surface of the dispenser 4. A tamper indication means 1 1 disposed within the through hole 10 of the stopper and comprises a shank end 12 located on one side of the tamper indication means; the shank 12 end is provided with a fitment bore 13 configured to secure the tamper indication means 1 1 at the axial holder 3. Also a tamper indication means 1 1 comprises a tamper indication unit 14 located on the side of the tamper indication means 1 1 opposite to said shank end 12. Also the the additional hole 15 is made in the shank end 12 of the tamper indication means 1 1 . Said additional hole 15 communicates with a lower portion of the fitment bore 13 and forms a stop edge 16. The axial holder 3 being press-fitted in the fitment bore 13 and comprises a stop member. The fitment bore 13 of the shank end 12 comprises a tapered groove 18 faced towards the axial holder 3.

Fig. 3 shows a closure of a liquid bottle 24 wherein the closure is applied to a neck 23 of the liquid bottle 24. A cap 1 of the closure is disconnected from a dispenser 4 and, as a result, an indication unit 14 indicates the opening of the liquid bottle 24.

Fig. 4 shows the closure of the liquid bottle 24 wherein the closure is applied to the neck 23 of the liquid bottle 24. The cap 1 of the closure is connected to the dispenser 4 and the indication unit 14 indicates the opening of the liquid bottle 24.

Figs. 5 to 7 show a tamper indication means 1 1 in a shank end 12 whereof an additional hole 15 is made. The additional hole 15 communicates with a lower portion of a fitment hole 13 and forms a stop edge 16 for a press fit of an axial holder 3 into the fitment hole 13.

Figs. 8 to 10 show an embodiment of the present invention wherein a notch 22 is provided at the shank end 12 which notch extends radially to the fitment hole 13.

Figs. 1 1 to 13 show an embodiment of the present invention wherein the additional hole 15 in the shank end 12 is configured as a blind hole.

Figs. 14 to 16 show an embodiment of the present invention wherein the additional blind hole 15 is provided in the shank end 12 of the tamper indication means 1 1 . A stop 25 of the axial holder 3 is disposed on the end face 26 of the additional blind hole 15.

Figs. 17 to 19 show an embodiment of the present invention wherein the tamper indication means 1 1 comprises a fastening element 19 to fasten the indication unit 14. The fastening element 19 is configured as a pin at the end whereof a lock 20 is disposed to engage with a mounting hole 21 of the indication unit 14.

Figs. 20 to 22 show an embodiment of the present invention wherein the additional through hole 15 is provided in the shank end 12 of the tamper indication means 1 1 . The stops 25 of the axial holder 3 are disposed within the additional through hole 15.

Fig. 23 shows an embodiment of the present invention wherein the closure comprises the tamper indication means 1 1 at a top portion of the indication unit 14 whereof two stop pieces 27 are disposed to contact to the walls of a hole 10 of a stopper 9 of the closure.

Figs. 24 to 26 show an embodiment of the present invention wherein the tamper indication means 1 1 comprises the two stop pieces 27 to contact to the walls of the hole 10 of the stopper 9 of the closure. Said stop pieces 27 are disposed at the top portion of the indication unit 14.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method of manufacturing the closure of the invention comprises manufacturing at first separately:

- The cap 1 comprising: a female thread 2 and the internal axial holder 3 configured as a pin;

- The dispenser 4, comprising: a male thread 5, a dispensing hole 6, a hole 7, and a fixing means 8 at the neck 23 of the liquid bottle 24;

- The stopper 9 with the through hole 10; and

- The tamper indication means 1 1 comprising: the shank end 12 with the fitment hole 13 and the additional hole 15 which communicates with the lower portion of the fitment hole 13 and forms the stop edge 16; and the indication unit 14.

The closure is then manufactured at an assembly line. The cap 1 is first fit onto the male thread 5 of the dispenser 4, and the stopper 9 is mated with the internal surface of the dispenser 4. The tamper indication means 1 1 is then mounted to the axial holder 3 of the cap 1 . For this, the shank end 12 is mounted onto the shareholder 3 of the cap 1 via the through hoe 10 of the stopper 9, and the axial holder 3 is press-fitted into the fitment hole 13 comprising the stop edge 16.

It should be noted separately that, in accordance with possible embodiments of the present invention, depending on the existing process equipment and customers' requirements for the closure, the following embodiments of the present invention are, for example, possible:

- The axial holder 3 is provided with a stop element 17 of Figs. 1 to 4;

- At the shank end 12 of the tamper indication means 1 1 , the notch 22 is provided which is disposed radially to the fitment hole 13 of Figs. 8 to 10;

- The additional hole 15 in the shank end 12 is configured as a blind one, and the additional blind hole 15 communicates with the lower portion of the fitment hole 13 and forms the stop edge 16 of Figs. 1 1 to 13;

- The disposition of the stops 25 of the axial holder 3 of the cap 1 on the end face 26 of the additional blind hole 15 of Figs. 14 to 16;

- The tamper indication means 1 1 comprises the fastening element 19 to fasten the indication unit 14. The fastening element 19 is configured as a pin at the end whereof a lock 20 is disposed to engage with a mounting hole 21 of the indication unit of Figs. 17 to 19;

- The additional hole 15 in the shank end 12 is configured as a through one, and the stop 25 of the axial holder 3 of the cap 1 is disposed within the additional hole 15 of Figs. 20 to 22; and

- The tamper indication means 1 1 comprises two stop pieces 27 disposed at at the top portion of the indication unit 14; the stop pieces 27 ensure the contact of the tamper indication means 1 1 to the walls of the hole 10 of the stopper 9 of the closure of Figs. 23 to 26.

Following the manufacture of the closure at the assembly line, it is transported to a bottling line where the closure is applied to the neck 23 of the liquid bottle 24. As a result, a closure assembly of the liquid bottle 23 is formed. The liquid bottle closed is then shipped to the consumer. After the first opening of the cap 1 , the closure assembly is unsealed, and the axial holder 3 of the cap 1 goes out of the fitment hole 13 this resulting in the operation of the tamper indication means 11 and, as a result thereof, the indication unit 14 falls out of the closure of Fig. 3. The fall of the indication unit 14 out of the closure evidences the first opening of the liquid bottle 24.

Upon subsequent closing and opening of the cap 1 , the indication unit 14 continues providing the evidence of the opening of the liquid bottle 24 of Fig. 4.

It will be appreciated that the present invention is not restricted to the above specific examples.

Technical result

The technical result of the present invention is prevention of accidental operation of a tamper indication means of a closure from occurring and thereby increasing reliability of the closure and the closure assembly of a liquid bottle.