TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to closures for bottles, and in particular to closures of the type which are reusable in re-stopping bottles.

BACKGROUND ART

Traditionally bottles having a long narrow neck comparative to their main body portion of the bottle, are stoppered by pressing a compressible type closure into the bottle neck. This compressible closure may be synthetic or a natural cork closure and conventional means are used to first compress the closure, insert it into the neck, so that subsequently thereafter the re-expanded closure provides for a sealing arrangement between the contents of the bottle and the external environment.

More recently there has been a tendency to move away from the compressible closures that are a natural cork type because of the problems associated with wine tainting.

Nonetheless, removal of a compressible closure from the neck of the bottle, whether it be a synthetic or natural cork closure, involves the use of a "cork screw" that penetrates the closure thereby destroying its integrity or sealing capabilities for re-use.

Once the compressible closure has been positioned and sealed in the neck of the bottle in many instances a sheath or the like which has an elongated cylindrical form is then placed externally over the top and the neck of the bottle in order to provide for a tampering proof shield, so that when a member of the purchasing public attempts to open the bottle they must first remove this sacrificial type sleeve or sheath which surrounds the compressible closure which is being inserted and now secure within the neck of the bottle. This external sheath provides evidence as to whether or not the contents or the closure of the bottle has been tampered in any way. Once the integrity or the sealing capability of the compressible closure has been destroyed the contents of the bottle are no longer protected from the outside environment, and hence are susceptible to contamination or accelerated degradation. Therefore, once the bottle has been opened if the contents are not consumed within a short period of time thereafter, if an attempt is made to partially re-seal the bottle a subsequent time thereafter when the contents are then again consumed, the sensation and the taste characteristics will have been altered substantially and detrimentally from its original form. As would be expected this provides for a very unpleasant experience for the consumer of such a product.

In order to overcome this problem a roll on tamper evident "ROTE" screw cap type closure has been developed. These ROTE caps were developed for protecting the contents inside long neck bottles for at least an extended ageing period, but also advantageously after their original seal is broken, a cap can be screwed back thereon to maintain arguably the integrity similar to the original seal to protect the remaining contents of the bottle.

These ROTE caps are characterized by being elongated in shape with an open end to engage and pass along the bottle and a capped end, which has therein an inner type seal or wadding. The wadding is adapted to extend across and be held in sealing contact with the top of the bottle.

This wadding or seal protects the contents of the bottle, for example, fine wine over an extended aging period within the bottle.

These are ROTE screw caps require that the neck of the bottle is threaded. The ROTE is then inserted down the neck of the bottle and then has the upper end of the cap impressed over the threads in order to create a seal between the inner wadding and the top of the bottle. The ROTE also has a section that is crimped to enable a users hand or the like to twist the upper portion of the cap free from a perforated punched section so as to release the closure from the bottle.

Nonetheless, these ROTE screw caps have their problem, particularly in the wine industry where a permanent seal is most important in order to protect the content of the wine inside the bottle during its ageing period in storage, and also its transportation and shelf life within the retail industry.

The problems with the ROTE screw caps are numerous. Being made of metal any impact or collision of the cap with surrounded articles, for example an adjacent bottle during transportation, will provide an indent on the surface which then exposes the opportunity for the seal arrangement within the ROTE screw cap to become broken. Once the seal becomes broken the integrity and sealing capabilities for the wine ageing and storing therein becomes drastically reduced and the wine may become susceptible to accelerated degradation.

Further, being made of metal is an expensive material to source, design and manufacture so as to fit and be secured around the neck of the bottle. Further, as the metal needs to be embossed and formed over the threads appearing on the neck of the bottle, rather than being actually fitted with a pre-mating thread so as to be simply screwed onto the neck of the bottle, the process is expensive and far from straight forward.

Still further, a practice now commonly occurring with these ROTE caps inserted onto bottles, is that members of the purchasing public are attempting to tamper with the seal, so as to release the closure for a preliminary examination as to the smell of the contents appearing in the bottle. For example, it is now known that when fine wine is placed within the bottle and sealed using these ROTE caps, members of the purchasing public wishing to identify some of the wine characteristics through smelling, are simply unscrewing the cap, taking a sniff of the aroma which is originally released and then re-inserting the cap back thereon. As the only tampering seal is the perforation appearing on the ROTE, it is very difficult to be able to visualize, when the bottle is on the shelf whether or not this perforated or punched seal has been corrupted.

Some suggestion to overcome these problems is to provide a screw cap very similar to the kinds that one finds on soft drink containers for example Coca Cola plastic bottles. Nonetheless, there is a clear perception that these kind of screw caps on wine bottles are just not the same for those used for other food and beverage type products.

Wine and alcoholic beverages per se, are presented to generally the sophisticated members of the purchasing public, being those over the age of 18. Though a screw cap applied to a Coca Cola or the like plastic bottle may provide for the same protection of fine wine contained within a bottle over its extended ageing period, transportation and storage life thereafter, there is still a real tangible perception by such members of the public that they do not wish to buy alcoholic beverages which are visually identified by being sealed by a simple plastic screw cap.

It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a closure that can overcome, or at least substantially ameliorate some of the disadvantages and shortcomings of the disclosures discussed above.

A further object of the present invention is to provide the purchasing public with at least a closure for long neck bottles that is an improvement or an alternative to those that currently exist in the relevant market today.

Still further secondary objects and advantages will become apparent on a complete reading of this specification.

DISCUSSION OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly there is provided a closure adapted to seal the neck of a bottle with tamper evidence effect, said closure including:

an inner cap having hold means sealable contact with the top of the bottle;

a sheath that extends around an external rim or periphery of said cap;

said sheath including a tearing tab that defines separable upper and lower portions of said sheath;

said tearing tab characterized by being laterally tearable around a circumference of said sheath;

whereby when the tearing tab is torn when access to the contents of the bottle is required, the sheath separates such that the inner cap remains hidden or at least partly out of general viewing, by remaining closed within the upper portion of the external sheath.

An advantage of such an arrangement is that a simple cap can be placed on the neck of the bottle to provide an effective closing seal. If this type of cap doesn't conjure up the required ascetic or characteristics to match the contents of the bottle, it can be hidden from view by the external sheath.

Advantageously, when access to the contents of the bottle is required though the tearing tab is torn for access, it is torn in such a way that the sheath is separated into portions rather than simply being torn free from the closure.

Advantageously, the upper portion of the sheath encloses the cap, so that the user of the bottle is not able to familiarize or identify to any large extent the characteristics of the inner cap which is responsible for the sealing of the bottle.

A further advantage of such an arrangement is that the tearing tab is torn provides for conclusive evidence that there has been some attempt to open or alter the integrity of the seal closing the bottle.

For example, it would not be possible for someone to tear the tab and then disguise this action.

In preference, the cap threadably engages the neck of the bottle.

In this arrangement the neck of the bottle includes a series of threads of which are mated with a corresponding thread on the internal side of the inner cap.

An advantage of such an arrangement is that simple threaded caps can be rotated without difficulties onto the neck of the bottle for it to seal in the contents of the bottle from the outside environment.

As discussed above, though these simple threadable caps are often not preferred to be used with alcoholic beverages because of the type of imagery it conjures up, this problem is clearly avoided by having the external sheath surrounding the cap.

In preference, the inner cap includes wadding along its upper end adapted to extend across and be held in sealing contact with the top of the bottle.

Advantageously, the addition of the wadding to the inner cap provides for greater integrity of the seal to protect the contents of the body.

A further advantage is that the cap can be removed from the bottle, hidden from view by being enclosed in the upper portion of the sheath, but still able to be simply reused and once again sealed on the bottle when the user has finished.

For example, the seal can be broken by simply unscrewing the cap using a portion of the contents there in the bottle and then sealing. As the arrangement allows for a screwed cap arrangement the closure is in no way damaged as would be the case when removing a compressible closure, whether it be synthetic, natural cork or otherwise from within the neck of the bottle.

In preference, the inner cap would be made of plastic.

Advantageously, by being plastic the cap is cheap and durable. If knocked or damaged during transport the plastic will not readily dint or the like, thereby avoiding the situation where the integrity of the seal contact could be broken.

Advantageously, this invention allows the utilization of existing technology.

Plastic bottles with long necks are already using screw caps in which to seal the contents. Further, sheaths, generally made of plastic or specific PVCs are already used to provide a tamper proof seal on long neck bottles that have been sealed closed by inserting compressible closures into the neck of the bottle.

What makes this invention particularly unique is the combination of the cap and the sheath technologies, but most importantly the tearing tab which defines the upper and lower portions of the sheath, so that when the tearing tab is torn the cap responsible for sealing the bottle remains enclosed therein away from public view.

A closure for screw top bottles having two parts which are joined together, a first part being an inner cap which includes an inner screw thread and at an upper inner side a seal adapted to extend across and be held in sealing contact with a top of a bottle, the second part being an outer capsule, of substantially cylindrical shape and having the first part within its shape and being of a material such that it can be caused to shrink in size when over and around the top of a bottle and effect a securement of its position thereby with respect to the bottle top.

A closure for screw top bottles having two parts which are joined together, a first part being an inner cap of plastics material which includes an inner screw thread adapted to threadably engage an outer thread at a top of a bottle mouth, and at an upper inner side including a seal adapted to extend across and be held in sealing contact with an otherwise open top of a bottle, the second part being an outer capsule, of substantially cylindrical shape and having the first part nesting within its shape and further being of a shrink wrap material such that it can be caused to shrink with an application of heat when over and around the top of a bottle and effect a securement of its position thereby with respect to the bottle top and at the same time then effect a cover and capture of the said first part when this is in screwed on position with respect to the bottle top.

In combination a closure for screw top bottles having two parts which are joined together, a first part being an inner cap of plastics material which includes an inner screw thread threadably engaging an outer thread at a top of the bottle mouth, and at an upper inner side including a seal extending across and being held in sealing contact with an otherwise open top of the bottle, the second part being an outer capsule, of substantially cylindrical shape and having the first part nesting within its shape and further being of a shrink wrap material which has been caused to shrink with an application of heat while over and around the top of the bottle, and effecting a securement of its position thereby with respect to the bottle top and at the same time then effecting a cover and capture of the said first part as in its screwed on position with respect to the bottle top.

In preference, the inner cap is a single piece.

In preference, the cap at the open end includes a circumferential edge or shoulder, which is adapted to be inserted over a skirt or the like laterally extending around the neck of the bottle.

An advantage of such an arrangement is that the inner cap also provides extra fastening security once positioned on the neck of the bottle, by having the circumferal edge or shoulder extending over the skirt, and securing thereto.

A further advantage of such an arrangement is that as the inner cap remains as one separate integral piece, when it is withdrawn from the neck of the bottle, thereby having the circumference edge or shoulder dislodging itself from the skirt, no part of the inner cap remains to the neck of the bottle.

Unlike previous conventional caps, such caps are often divided by a perforated fold or the like, with the lower portion under the perforations securing itself to the skirt. To act as a tamper evidence device, perforations are broken on the twisting off of the cap, separating said cap into at least two parts. One part or ring remaining under the skirt on the neck of the bottle separated from that part now that has been removed from the bottle to access the contents therein.

Advantageously, with this invention there is no need to perforate or divide the inner cap, as the tamper evidence mechanism is not provided for under such a conventional system. However, once again advantageously the inner cap of this invention is adapted to roll over a skirt or shoulder laterally extending around the neck of the bottle, so as to improve the fixing of the closure to the bottle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To assist with a further understanding of the invention, reference will now be made to a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings:

Figures 1 a, 1 b and 2a and 2b show prior art information in relation to ROTE screw caps;

Figures 3a and 3b are prior art descriptions of the conventional soft drink bottles with the plastic screw cap;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the closure in a preferred embodiment of this invention;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of figure 4;

Figures 6a, 6b, 6c and 6d are a preferred method of sealing the contents of a bottle;

Figures 7a, 7b and 7c is a preferred method of breaking the seal of a bottle closed by the closure of this invention;

Figures 8a, 8b and 8c is a schematic representation of the use of the conventional inner cap and the method thereof of placing on the neck of the bottle; and

Figures 9a and 9b show a further preferred embodiment of the invention wherein the inner cap includes a terminating shoulder that abuts a protruding skirt on the bottle neck for additional fastening characteristics.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawings now in greater detail.

Figures 1 a and 1 b refers to conventionally known roll on tamper evident (ROTE) screw caps 10. The ROTE screw cap is inserted about the neck 12 of a conventional bottle 14. The neck of the bottle is threaded 16. The ROTE cap is forced down whereby the threading 16 embosses or collapses an upper region of the ROTE screw cap. This corresponding embossed thread 18 of the ROTE cap allows for unscrewing and then subsequent re-using of the cap 10. 20 is crimped on to the cap 10 to assist in the unscrewing of the cap 10 from the neck 12 of the bottle 14.

Perforations 22 provide for tampering evidence.

Wadding 24 actually secures and seals the top opening 26 of the bottle 14.

The cap 10 is made of aluminium, tin or the like type metals. Special machinery and equipment is required to insert cap 10 on to the neck 12 of the bottle 14 as it must engage the threads 16 of the neck of the bottle 14 to become embossed and secured thereon as shown by the deformations 18 of the cap 10.

Being metal, if the cap 10 is knocked, the metal becomes dinted or disfigured, which could cause the wadding 24 to become dislodged and therefore break an effective seal at the opening 26 of the bottle 14.

The perforations 22 can be broken but if the cap 10 is again rescrewed onto the bottle it is difficult at a distance to see whether or not tampering of the bottle has taken place.

Figures 2a and 2b shows another conventional prior art form of closing a bottle 28. A compressible closure 30 made generally of cork or synthetic material is inserted into the neck 31 of the bottle 28. A sheath 32 is placed around the external neck of the bottle 28 and normally at least some part of the top of the bottle. This sheath 32 needs to be torn open to access the actual closure 30 to be removed from the neck 31 in order to consume the contents of the bottle 28. The sheath 32 is torn from the neck of the bottle 30 by the use of a tearing tab or the like 34. The purpose of the tearing tab 34 is to completely remove the sheath 32 from the closure to enable clear access to the closure 30.

The tearing tab 34 enables the sheath 32 to be removed and provide information as to whether or not the bottle has been tampered in any way. It is not possible to withdraw the compressible closure 30 unless the sheath 32 is damaged.

Nonetheless, once the closure 30 is removed the closure 30 integrity is damaged by this means of removal so it is very difficult to reuse such closures 30 if an effective subsequent seal is required.

Figures 3a and 3b provide another form of the prior art this time the conventional soft drink bottle 36 where a plastic screw cap 38 with a matching thread 40 threadably engages the threads 42 on the neck 44 of the bottle 36.

The problem with these screw on plastic caps 38 is that they do not provide the necessary attractive appearance or the perceived design to protect the contents of a fine quality products like wine over an extended ageing period in the bottle. Though this may be technically and factually incorrect, there is a perceivement in the relevant purchasing public that plastic screw caps on such things as wine bottles just shouldn't be the same as those used for other food and drink. It is the appearance of the plastic cap 38 which in a sense makes it unsuitable in the eyes of many of the relevant purchasing public that consume alcoholic beverages that makes it unsuitable.

Figures 4 and 5 show the preferred embodiment of the closure 50 of the invention. The closure includes an inner cap 52 that threadably engages the neck 54 of a standard long neck bottle 49. Closure 50 includes a sheath 56 that extends around the external periphery 58 of the inner cap 52. A tearing tab 60 defines an upper portion 62 and a lower portion 64 of the sheath 56. The tearing tab 60 may be laterally torn around a circumference of the sheath 56 shown by way of the dotted lines in figure 4.

In figure 5 and figures 6a to 6d, generally the method of sealing the bottle starts with a conventional long neck glass bottle having a threaded end 53. The inner cap 52 is able to threadably engage the threaded bottle until the wadding 66 internally housed within cap 52 extends across and is held in sealing contact with the top of the bottle as shown best in figure 5.

Sheath 56 is then placed down around cap 52 and extends there along the neck of the bottle. The tearing tab 60 is symmetrically positioned at least below the bottom most position longitudinally length wise of the cap 52. The sheath 56 may be shrunk there onto the cap 52 using traditional shrinking means for conventional type PVC tampering type material.

As shown in figures 7a, 7b and 7c the tearing tab 60 may be torn around the circumference of the sheath 56 where ribs 68 assist in unscrewing the cap still enclosed and housed within the upper portion 60 of the sheath 56.

As the sheath 56 has been torn into segments 62 and 64 by the tearing tab 60 rather than being simply discarded from the closure 50, the plastic cap 52 which was responsible for sealing the bottle by way of the wadding 66 is still no longer in view to those that are intending to consume the contents of the bottle.

Once the required portion of the contents of the bottle have been taken, the cap 52, as will be the case with your traditional screw cap appearing on a plastic bottle can then be returned to seal the long neck glass bottle 49. Advantageously, the members of the purchasing public are not aware that in fact this bottle is protected and sealed by a conventional plastic cap because the upper portion 62 of the sheath 56 still encloses the cap 52 therein.

Figures 8a, 8b and 8c shows the placing of conventional inner cap 70 to the neck 72 of a bottle 74. These conventional caps 70 have separable portions 76 and 78 which provide for bottle tampering recognition.

The neck 72 of the bottle 74 includes a laterally extending skirt 80 of which the cap 70 has portion 76 secured or rounded at least partially thereto. When the cap 70 is removed from the neck 72 of the bottle 74 portion 76 remains positioned under or around the skirt 80. The separation of the cap 70 into separable portions 76 and 78 indicates to a user the bottle 74 has been tampered with.

Nonetheless, as the person skilled in the art would appreciate if cap 70 is wound back on to figure 8c, it would be very difficult to see whether or not the bottle has been tampered with. In figures 9a and 9b and as illustrated, in a preferred embodiment this invention there is provided the inner cap 82 with a peripheral circumferal edge 84 which is able to abut up and move around skirt 86 on the neck of the bottle 88.

Advantageously, the cap 82 can still be secured to the bottle 88 by the skirt 86, but there is no requirement to perforate the cap 82 into separable portions, as cap 82, does not need to provide the mechanism associated with the tampering of the bottle 88 in this arrangement as it the case in figure 8. Hence the shoulder or edge 84 is able to provide additional fastening means for the inner cap 82 when secured to the bottle 88 by engaging the skirt 86.

It is to be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific preferred embodiments described above without departing from the scope of the invention as described.