IE67818B1 - A container and closure - Google Patents

Description

A container and Closure This invention relates to a container closure assembly comprising a container neck and a complementary closure. In particular, the invention relates to such an assembly in which the neck is adapted to carry a sealing web, e.g. a foil seal.

Foil sealed containers are used for a variety of different 10 purposes, particular examples being medicine bottles, coffee jars and drinks containers. Commonly, they are used in applications in which the contents of the container are consumed or exhausted over a fixed or well-defined period of time. In such cases, the foil seal provides that the contents of the container remain uncontaminated, or that they retain their original quality, until the foil seal is broken. A secondary seal, between the container and its complementary closure ensures a degree of protection for the contents of the container which is sufficient to preserve the quality of the contents throughout its consumption or usage period.

It has been common practice for the secondary seal to be provided between the lip of the container neck and the crown of the closure, 'which has the effect of sandwiching the foil seal between the two. Overtightening of the closure can tear or rupture the delicate foil seal.

This invention seeks to overcome this problem, and. accordingly provides a container closure assembly f comprising: a container neck having a tapered sealing surface portion and a lip with an outer lip surface, the ° tapered sealing surface portion being arranged below and radially outwardly of the lip; a sealing web removably secured to the lip; a container closure having an inner closure surface, said closure including a skirt portion having a tapered sealing surface adapted to form an interference seal against said tapered sealing surface portion of said container neck, and complementary threads on the closure and the container neck for retaining said closure on said container neck, wherein, when said closure is retained on and sealed to said container neck, said closure is clear of the sealing web and the lip and does not make contact therewith.

With the above arrangement, the secondary seal remains entirely clear of the lip of the container neck, and therefore of any foil seal or other sealing web which may be provided thereon.

The clearance between the closure and the sealing web and lip may be afforded by providing the outer surface of the lip with a recess. Preferably, the recess includes a substantially outwardly facing surface which is inclined to the longitudinal axis of the container neck so as to form an overhanging rim on the container. Preferably the inclination of the recess surface is between about 1° and about 45°, preferably about 20e.

Th® container neck includes an outwardly tapered portion and th® inner surface of the skirt portion of the closure is adapted to form an interference fit with that tapered portion. This will ensure that no contact, other than accidental contact, occurs between the closure and the lip ox the container neck, or any sealing web thereon, during application or tightening of the closure. The skirt portion of the closure is made large enough to pass over the relatively narrow lip of the container neck and only seal with the neck in a region where the tapered portion is wider.

To provide a good seal, the skirt portion of the closure includes an inwardly tapered surface so as to correspond to the tapered neck. Preferably, the angle of taper is between about 1° and about 25°, and in particular about 5°.

Preferably the sealing web is at most coextensive with the lip of the container neck. Thus, when the closure is applied, the sealing web is not fouled by the closure.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows a section through a first embodiment of the invention including a threaded closure,* The drawing illustrates a container closure assembly according to the invention including a container neck (10) and a container closure (12) . The closure (12) is illustrated in its engaged, sealed position on the container neck (10) . In this exemplary embodiment both the neck (10) and the closure (12) are of circular section and are provided with complementary threads (14, 16).

The closure consists of a crown portion (12) and a skirt portion (122). The skirt portion (122) includes an inwardly tapered surface (20) and the container neck (10) includes a corresponding outwardly tapered surface (18). A seal (22) exists between the tapered surfaces (18, 20) by virtue of an interference fit between the two.

The lip (30) of the container neck (10) is sealed by a sealing web (28) which, in this exemplary embodiment is a foil seal. The neck (10) and closure (12) are constructed of materials common in the art, e.g. glass, plastics, metal etc.

As can be seen a clearance (24) exists between the outer surface (26) of the lip (30) and the inner surface of the closure (12). The clearance is of about 1mm and corresponds to a recess (32) in the lip (30) . As can be seen, the closure is held away from the edges of the foil seal, to reduce the likelihood of tearing the seal.

Whilst in the embodiment shown in the drawing the clearance (24) is afforded by a recess (32) in ths lip (30), it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that such a clearance may be provided by an appropriate profile on the inner surface of the closure (12),, or a combination of / profiles on the closure (12) and th® neck (10).

L The recess (32) includes a substantially outwardly facing surface (26) which is inclined to the axis of the neck (10) ,, This forms a drip-free, overhanging rim.

The diameter of the inside surfaces of the closure threads (16) is greater than that of the sealing web or foil (28).

The complementary threads (14, 16) may therefore be engaged without any portion of the closure (12) contacting the sealing web (28). Rotation of the closure (12) advances it axially until its tapered surface (20) interferes with that (18) on the neck (10). No stress is applied to the sealing web (28).

The secondary seal (22) between the tapered surfaces (18, ) has been found in shelf tests to be , for practical purposes, of equal integrity to the foil seal itself. This offers a substantial improvement over the prior art.

A container closure assembly according to this, or any other embodiment of the invention may for example be applied to the container and closure which forms the subject of our international patent application PCT G891/00850.

It will of course be appreciated that the invention has been described above purely by way of example and that modifications of detail may be made without departing from its scope.

Claims (6)

1. A container closure assembly comprising: a container neck having a tapered sealing surface portion and a lip with an outer lip surface, the tapered sealing surface portion being arranged below and radially outwardly of the lip; a sealing web removably secured to the lip; a container closux-e having an inner closure surface, said closure including a skirt portion having a tapered sealing surface adapted to form an interference seal against said tapered sealing surface portion of said container neck; complementary threads on the closure and the container neck for retaining said closure on said container neck, and wherein, when said closure is retained on and sealed to said contains!’ neck, said closure is clear of the sealing web and the lip and does not make contact therewith.

2. » An assembly according to claim 1 in which the outer lip of the container neck is provided with a recess.

3. An assembly according to claim 2 in which the recess includes a substantially outwardly facing surface which is inclined to the longitudinal axis of the container neck so as to form an overhanging rim.

4. An assembly according to claim 3 in which the inclination of that recess surface is about 20 degrees.

5. An assembly according to any preceding claim in which the sealing web is a foil seal.

6. A container closure assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawing.