"Closure device for containers of liquids, particularly bottles for liquors" DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a closure for containers of liquids, particularly bottles for liquors, with an opening located at the end of a neck which extends axially from the body of the container along a longitudinal axis (X-X), comprising a pouring body provided with an internal cavity and a pouring aperture, positioned on the said opening and extending coaxially with, and outside, the neck, in the opposite direction to the body of the container, a valve member located between the said cavity of the said pouring body and movable axially with respect to an annular stop to allow the outflow of the liquid and prevent its fraudulent introduction, a tubular element comprising a first stopper-like portion and a second sleeve-like portion which extends axially along the outer wall of the neck, the said first stopper-like portion and the said second sleeve-like portion forming a so called tube-stopper element and being interconnected axially by a circumferential weakening line, the said first stopper- like portion being engaged with the pouring body by means of threading for the opening and closing of the said pouring aperture, and removable sealing means to allow

the initial opening of the closure.

Closures of the aforementioned type are known in the prior art and are used for closing bottles of valuable liquors, providing them with a seal which guarantees the integrity of the closure by making any previous opening visible and providing evidence as far as possible of any attempt to tamper with the seal.

An example of the aforementioned type of closure is described in GB-A-2,302, 867.

In this embodiment, the sealing function is provided by a stopper-like element which is placed on top of the stopper portion of the tubular element and which is extended axially by an annular strip connected by means of a circumferential weakened line consisting, for example, of cuts separated by breakable links. The outer stopper is fixed to the underlying stopper portion both axially and rotationally, while the annular strip is connected to the sleeve-like portion of the tubular element by means of corresponding radial teeth, in a position below the weakening line which connects the aforesaid two portions.

According to the prior art, the outer stopper or over stopper may be made of adequate plastic material or, in view of specific needs, may be made in form of a metallic sheet capsule.

Therefore it is an object of the present invention to devise a tube-stopper element provided with means capable to match with an outer stopper or over stopper made either of plastic material, with or without conventional security breakable strips, or in the form of a metallic sheet capsule, with or without weakening line.

Moreover, due to the fact that the known closures of the type specified above have the drawback that, even after a first fraudulent opening, the seal in the form of an outer stopper, together with the underlying stopper which will now be open, can be repositioned against the annular security strip, thus giving the impression to an unskilled observer that there is structural continuity and consequently integrity between the stopper and the security strip, a further object of the present invention is to devise a closure of the aforementioned type which has sealing characteristics such. that the above mentioned drawback can be overcome.

These objects are achieved with the closure device which is characterized according to Claim 1 below.

The invention will now be described more fully with reference to examples of embodiment thereof, provided solely for guidance and without restrictive intent, and illustrated in the attached drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a lateral elevation, in partial

section, of a first embodiment of the closure according to the invention fitted on the neck of a bottle; Figure 2 shows a perspective view from the outside of the cap-like seal fitted on the closure of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a perspective view from the inside of the cap of Figure 2; Figure 4 shows a lateral elevation, in partial section, of a second embodiment of the closure according to the invention fitted on the neck of a bottle; Figure 5 shows a perspective view from the outside of the cap-like seal fitted on the closure of Figure 4; Figure 6 shows a perspective view from the inside of the cap of Figure 5; Figure 7 shows a lateral elevation of the tubular element with a stopper-like portion used in the closures of Figures 1 and 4; Figure 8 shows a perspective view of the tubular element of Figure 7.

With reference to the aforesaid figures, and particularly to Figures 1,2 and 3, it will be seen that the closure comprises a pouring body 1 provided with an inner cavity

2 and a pouring aperture 3. This pouring body 1 is positioned on the rim 4 of the opening 5 of the neck 6 of a container, particularly a bottle, whose body is indicated schematically at 7. The bottle is intended particularly, but not exclusively, to contain valuable liquors whose originality and genuineness is to be guaranteed by means of the security imparted by the closure according to the invention.

The pouring body 1 is positioned on the rim 4 by means of the interposition of a fixing and sealing collar 8, or directly by other conventional, means.

A valve member 9, movable axially in the direction of the axis X-X of the neck of the bottle with respect to an annular stop 10 of the cavity of the pouring body, is located in the cavity 2 of the pouring body 1.

In a conventional way, the valve member 9 allows the outflow of the liquid from the pouring aperture 3 but prevents its fraudulent introduction.

The closure also comprises a tubular element, indicated as a whole by 11, consisting of a first stopper-like portion 12, the outer surface of which is preferably knurled, and a second sleeve-like portion 13. The two portions 12 and 13 are interconnected axially by a weakening line 14 formed in a conventional way by circumferential cuts separated by breakable links, not

shown in the drawings.

The stopper-like portion 12 comprises a wall 15 transverse with respect to the axis X-X, which closes the upper end of the tubular element 11. The said wall 15 has a collar 16 which projects towards the cavity 2 of the pouring body 1 and is designed to engage axially with the pouring aperture 3 in order to close it. The said portion 12 is superimposed on the underlying pouring body 1 with which it is engaged by screw means consisting of the threads 17 and 18 which allow the pouring aperture 3 to be opened and closed when the container is in use.

The sleeve-like portion 13 is provided with conventional means, indicated schematically at 19 and 20, for its axial and circumferential engagement with the underlying part of the pouring body in such a way that axial and rotary displacements between these parts are prevented and consequently the unscrewing and re-screwing of the stopper portion 12 is permitted by the breaking of the links of the weakening line 14 when the closure is opened for the first time.

Finally, the closure according to the invention comprises a cap-like seal, indicated as a whole by 21, which is fitted on top of the said stopper-like portion 12.

The cap 21 consists of a top wall 22, transverse with respect to the axis X-X, and an annular strip 23 which

extends axially over the stopper-like portion 12 to a point beyond the said weakening line 14.

The annular strip 23, as shown in Figures 2,3, 7 and 8, engages with the tubular element 11 by means of a first set of embossed sectors 24, distributed circumferentially over the inner wall 23a and positioned under a first annular rib 25 of the tubular element 11, and a second set of embossed sectors 26 which are positioned under a second annular rib 27, within the groove 28.

The first annular rib 25 is positioned axially above the weakening line 14 whereas the second annular rib 27 is positioned axially below the weakening line 14.

The profile of the cross section of each embossed sector 24 and 26 is essentially triangular with the vertex pointing towards the axis X-X of the neck. The respective lower sides 24a and 26a are inclined, but the respective upper sides 24b and 26b are positioned essentially perpendicularly to the axis X-X of the neck.

With particular reference to Figures 7 and 8, it should be noted that the annular ribs 25 and 27 are provided with planes inclined downwards with respect to the container on their upper faces 25a and 27a to assist the axial movement of the sectors 24 and 26 during the application of the cap 21, but are provided with planes which are practically perpendicular to the axis X-X on

their opposite faces.

This particular configuration, while permitting the application of the cap 21 without causing damage such as fracture or cracking, prevents such action if the cap is forced axially upwards for the purpose of fraudulent removal and illegal access to the underlying stopper 12.

As an alternative, the said upper faces 25a and 27a of the ribs 25 and 27 may also be perpendicular to the axis X-X as theirs opposite faces. In that case, the inclined planes are provided on the sectors 24 and 26 to assist the axial movement during the application of the cap 21.

The configuration of the ribs 25 and 27 with lower planes perpendicular to the axis X-X, against which the corresponding upper sides 24b and 26b of the sectors 24 and 26 are positioned, is such that the sectors 24 and 26 can pass over these steps solely and exclusively as a result of a substantial radial deformation of the wall forming the strip 23 of the cap, causing the formation of irreversible bends, cracks and color variations which provide evidence of an attempt to tamper with the cap.

The use of a material such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) for the formation of the cap 21 makes the aforementioned phenomena more evident and this material is therefore preferred.

With further reference to Figures 2 and 3, it should be

noted that the end wall 22 of the capsule 21 is provided with at least one tab or tag 29 formed in the said wall by a circular cut 30 which leaves an intact portion 31 about which the tag can be bent when raised from the plane of the wall.

The circular cut 30 is extended at the sides of the portion 31 with continuations 32 and 33 in line with which the axial weakening lines 34 and 35 respectively are formed on the inner surface 23a. When the cap 21 is fitted on the stopper portion 12, it will be noted that the aforesaid weakening lines preferably extend from the level of the aperture 3 of the pouring body 1 substantially as far as the area where the embossed sectors 26 are formed.

For the first authorized opening of the closure, the cap 21 must first be removed by raising the tab 29 and pulling it so that it rotates about the portion 31, continuing by tearing the area"S"of the wall 23 lying between the axial weakening lines 34 and 35.

The tearing causes the breakage of the cap 21 which can no longer be reconstituted, even in a fraudulent way.

To enable the cap 21 to be finally removed from the underlying stopper-like portion 12, the said cap is provided with further axial cuts 36 and 37 which extend partially across the strip 23 in the proximity of the

transverse wall 22. The aforesaid cuts 36 and 37 allow the cap to be bent about at least one of the generatrices of the tubular strip 23 and consequently allow the removal and practical destruction of the cap.

Although reference is made in the example described above to a pair of'axial weakening lines, the cap 21 can alternatively be broken and removed by means of a single weakening line with the tear tab positioned at the side of this weakening.

With reference to Figure 4, it will be noted that the second embodiment of the closure according to the invention principally differs from the first, illustrated in Figure 1, in that the tubular strip 23 of the cap 21 is provided with an annular terminal area 38 connected to the tubular strip 23 by a circumferential weakening line 39 consisting of cuts 40 separated by breakable links 41.

It should also be noted that the set of embossed sectors 26 is positioned in the terminal area 38 and that the pair of axial weakening lines 34 and 35 stop at the position of the said circumferential weakening line 39.

Finally, it will be noted that the tab 29 for tearing the cap is replaced by a corresponding pair of tabs 42 and 43 formed by cutting in the wall 22 of the cap.

With reference to this second embodiment of the closure, the breakage of the cap 21 and its removal from the

underlying stopper-like portion 12, which take place by the same procedure as that described with reference to the first embodiment of Figure 1, causes the terminal area 38 to be left in place, the presence of this area providing clearer evidence of the fact that the closure has been opened.

Clearly, the dimensions can be varied according to requirements without thereby departing from the scope of the invention as described above and as claimed below.