US3109549A - Flanged plastic cork - Google Patents

Description

FLANGED PLASTIC CORK F'iled June 15, 1960 .E 5 Q? a INVENTOR. EARL L. C ONKL/A/ Arf/wr A. Marc 9 4 TTOENE) United States Patent Ofi ice 3,l9,5 i9 Patented Nov. 5, 19fi3 3,109,549 FLANGED PLASTIC CORK Earl L. Conlrlin, 323 Cross St, Fort Lee, N.J., assignor of one-half to Century Brewery Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 15, 196%, Ser. No. 36,254 Claims. (61. 215-47) This invention relates to container closures, and more particularly to a flanged plastic cork or stopper type of closure device for bottled carbonated or fermented beverages and other products wherein the pro-duct is stored under pressure from the time it is bottled until the bottle is opened preparatory to consumption of the product,

and wherein such pressure may vary from time to time according to atmospheric conditions, length of storage than that which could be obtained by the use of either the cap or plug type seal alone, or by their use together.

Another object of the invention is to provide a closure device of the character stated that combines the cap and stopper features in a self-contained unit which is simply constructed and economical to manufacture.

it is a feature of the invention that the closure device is designed to utilize the gas pressure within the container to provide an effective seal, and its novelty stems, at least in part, from the fact that it is so designed that the effectiveness of its seal is maintained at all times regardless of variations in the amount of pressure within the con tainer.

Another feature of the invention is that the closure device is adapted for effective re-use after the container has been opened and a part only of its contents withdrawn, it being desirable to retain the unused contents in good condition for future use.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear from the detailed description which follows, and it is pointed out that while the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and described as a closure for a slimnecked bottle, it is not limited in its application to that particular type of container.

in its broad aspects, the present invention contemplates a closure device for a container having a cylindrical wall and an open mouth formed to receive and hold a cover in secure attachment thereto, the closure device comprising a hollow stopper formed with a flange portion adapted to seat on the free edge of the container mouth and a body portion adapted to fit snugly within the container wall and being closed at its inner end, the stopper being compressible axially and expansible radially when pressure is applied to the outer surface of its closed inner end.

More specifically, the cover and stopper are combined in a self-contained unit, having a stopper portion and a mechanical crimp-fastening cap portion, adapted for unitary application to and removal from the container; and the stopper portion is formed for controlled axial compression and radial expansion in response to pressure Within the container.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention 'has been shown mereiy by way of example and in preferred form, and obviously many variations and modifications thereof, and in its mode of application, may be made without departing from its spirit. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any particular form or embodiment except insofar as such limitations may be set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section, exploded and partly broken away, showing the elements comprising the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the parts in closed condition; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the hollow, molded plastic stopper.

The showing in FIG. 1 includes the neck 10* of a bottle or container which presents a smooth cylindrical interior surface 11, a mouth 12 and a bead .13 extending radially from and circumferentially around the mouth 12. A stopper 14, which is adapted to fit snugly within the neck 10 of the bottle is a unitary structure formed of molded plastic material (sometimes called elastorneric) capable of distension under pressure. The stopper 14 is hollow, being formed with a cylindrical wall 15, a flange 16 at one end and closed by a wall 17 at its opposite or inner end. A common form of mechanically attach-able or crimp-skirted metal cover or cap 13 is shown, which comprises a plain top surface 19, and a skirt 20' crimped, as at 21, at spaced intervals and thereby presenting interiorly a series of protubenances 22 which form a ledge 23 (interrupted) extending around the inner surface of the cover. The ledge 23- is incidental to the usual form of crimpskirted cap or cover, but it is taken advantage of by the present invention, as will be pointed out hereinafter.

As already stated, the present invention contemplates a self-contained, unitary cover and stopper closure device.

To this end, the stopper 14 is formed to be snap-fitted into interlocking engagement with the cover 18. Being flexible, the flange :16 will bend under pressure to bypass the protuberances 22 and overlie the ledge- 23 formed thereby. In order to provide a close tolerance fit, and to interlock between ribs 24, the edge of the flange 16 is formed with serrations as, whereby when the flange 16 is snapped into place the periphery thereof fits in close relation to the inner wall of the cover 18 and the serrations 26 cause it to settle into a position whereby itis restrained against movement relative to the cover 18. Thus, the closure device comprises in an assembled unitary structure a mechanically fastenable cap with a stopper-type seal.

The stopper 14 is made of molded plastic material and except for the flange 16 is hollow and thimble shaped. The flange 16 and the side wall 15 and inner end wall '17 are substantial enough to hold their shapes, yet thin enough to be quite flexible and slightly distendable. The periphery of this flange 16 is formed with serrations 26, as stated, and its diameter is held to a length of close tolerance to'fit snugly within the cover 18 above the ledge 23, the serrations 2'6 projecting between the ribs 24 defined by the crimps 2d. The outer surface 27 of the stopper 14 is smooth, whereas its inner sunface 281 is formed with thickened areas to provide a pair of spaced apart reinforcing ribs 29 and 30 extending continuously around the surface 28. A thickened ring-like area centered on the outer surface 31 of the inner end wall 17 forms a reinforcing rib 32 for that wall. Thus, when the stopper 14 is in use and gas pressure within the bottle is exerted the tendency for compression and expansion, resulting in an effective seal at any pressure. It is to be noted now that the reinforcing rib 32 resists the tendency of the end wall 17 to become unduly distended into the hollow body portion of the stopper 14, in which case the tendency would be to pull the stopper wall inward out of contact with the surface I I of the bottle neck 10.

The stopper 1 4- and cover 1-8 are made separately and assembled into a self-contained unit as heretofore stated, and in such condition the unit is adapted to be inserted into the open mouth 12 with the flange 16 pressed firmly against the bead 1 3, after which the skirt 20 of the cover 1 8 is crimped tightly underneath the head 18, all of the usual manner. It will be observed that the insertion of the unit is facilitated by the formation of the inner end of the stopper with a slight taper as at 35. To remove the closure, the crimped cover 18 is pried free by a suitable to-ol and in the usual manner, and when freed the entire unit is manually removed substantially as a cork would be removed. In the event that for some reason the cover 18 should become separated from the stopper 14, the serrations 26 provide for a more convenient finger hold than would be available if the flange 16 were formedand expand to form an effective seal; and because of its ability to compress and expand it will form a more effective seal than a closure which does not possess those characteristics.

As stated heretofore, the closure according to the present invention is not limited to one adapted to fit a slim necked bottle but is adaptable to other forms of open mouth containers. Moreover, it is not limited to such products as carbonated soft drinks or any particular fermented product. The stopper 14 may be molded of any suitable plastic material which is chemically inert in the presence of products to be contained, is not deleterious thereto, and is physically stable for substantially a limitless time. Hence, it is usable where other materials such assa rubber compound would not be satisfactory or permissible, and it is far superior to a stopper made of cork both in the effectiveness of its use and its durability. Furthermore, it does not rely solely on its inherent elasticity and special shape (such as a cork for the so-called sparkling wines) for its effectiveness but, instead, it utilizes the characteristics of the contained product for that purpose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In or for a container having a cylindrical wall and an open mouth and a bead extending radially outward from and circumferentially of the wall defining the mouth,

the combination of a cupshaped cover made of substantially rigid material and formed with a plain top spanning said mouth and a crimped skirt adapted to have a detachable fit with said bead to hold the cover securely over said mouth, the crimps forming a ledge extending around the inner surface of the skirt, and a stopper adapted to fit snugly and for a substantial distance within said month, said stopper comprising a flange portion and a hollow body portion extending axially therefrom and closed at the unflanged end, the stopper being associated with the cover and the flange having a diameter whereby it overlies the said ledge formed by the crimps and thereby interlocks with the cover, and the body portion being formed to compress axially and expand radially when pressure is applied to its closed end.

2. A closure device according to claim 1, wherein the outer wall of the hollow body portion is smooth and a plurality of oircumferentially extending reinforcing ribs are formed on the inner Wall in spaced relation to one another and to the closed inner end to concentrate the expansion action of the body portion in the areas thereof between its inner end and the adjacent rib and between the ribs.

3.A combination accordingto claim 1, wherein the periphery of said flange is formed with serrations to adapt it for a close fit within the crimped skirt of said cover.

4. A closure device comprising a self-contained unit including, in combination, a bottle stopper and mechanical crown fastening cap, said cap including a depending metal crimped skirt adapted to circumscribe and mechanically engage in positive attachment the mouth of a bottle, the crirnps of said skirt forming a ledge extending around the inner surface of said skirt, and the stopper being in the form of a hollow, flexible plastic plug of substantial length flanged at one end and closed at the other end, the flanged end being serrated for interlocking engagement with the crimps within the fastening cap, and the flexible plug being formed to have a normally snug fit within the neck of a bottle, the plug being radially expansible by pressure from Within the bottle.

5. A combination as in claim 4, wherein the flexible plug is formed with a reinforcing rib on the inner surface of its side wall spaced apart from the end wall, whereby the reaction to pressure on the outer surface of the end wall is concentrated in the area intermediate the end Wall and the circumferential rib and causes thev plug to expand in that area.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,742,172 Biederman Apr. 17, 1956 2,746,632 Bramming May 22, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 507,500 Italy Dec. 30, 1954' 1,138,982 France Feb. 4, 1957

Claims (1)

1. IN OR FOR A CONTAINER HAVING A CYLINDRICAL WALL AND AN OPEN MOUTH AND A BEAD EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARD FROM AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF THE WALL DEFINING THE MOUTH, THE COMBINATION OF A CUP-SHAPED COVER MADE OF SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID MATERIAL AND FORMED WITH A PLAIN TOP SPANNING SAID MOUTH AND A CRIMPED SKIRT ADAPTED TO HAVE A DETACHABLE FIT WITH SAID BEAD TO HOLD THE COVER SECURELY OVER SAID MOUTH, THE CRIMPS FORMING A LEDGE EXTENDING AROUND THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SKIRT, AND A STOPPER ADAPTED TO FIT SNUGLY AND FOR A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE WITHIN SAID MOUTH, SAID STOPPER COMPRISING A FLANGE PORTION AND

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