Cap for a container and related production method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12116176-B2
Application number	US-202117390306-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2021
Priority date	Aug 6, 2020
Publication date	Oct 15, 2024
Grant date	Oct 15, 2024

Abstract

A cap for a container is made of a material at least part of which is derived from natural fibres. The cap comprises a cup-shaped body having a skirt which extends around an axis and a transversal wall arranged transversally to the axis. A cavity is defined inside the cup-shaped body. The cup-shaped body is delimited by an inner surface facing the cavity and by an outer surface facing the opposite way to the cavity. At least one projecting element projects from a surface of the cup-shaped body selected from either the inner surface or the outer surface. At least one recess is provided at the projecting element on another surface of the cup-shaped body selected from either the outer surface or the inner surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cap for a container, the cap being made of a material at least part of which is derived from natural fibres, the cap comprising a cup-shaped body having a skirt which extends around an axis and a transversal wall arranged transversally to the axis, a cavity being defined inside the cup-shaped body, the cup-shaped body being delimited by an inner surface facing the cavity and by an outer surface facing the opposite way to the cavity, wherein at least one projecting element projects from the inner surface of the cup-shaped body, and wherein at least one recess is provided at said at least one projecting element on the outer surface of the cup-shaped body, the material and the natural fibres being uniformly compacted and the compaction of the material and the natural fibres results in the cap having a uniform density.

2. The cap according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one projecting element comprises a fastening element which projects from the skirt inwards towards the inside of the cup-shaped body to removably fasten at least one part of the cap to a neck of the container, said at least one recess being provided at the fastening element on the outer surface.

3. The cap according to claim 2 , wherein the fastening element comprises a screw thread, said at least one recess being provided on the outer surface at the screw thread and being shaped like a helical hollow.

4. The cap according to claim 1 , and further comprising a plurality of gripping ribs made on the skirt to make the cap easier to grasp, the plurality of gripping ribs being provided in a region of the outer surface in which said at least one recess is not present.

5. The cap according to claim 4 , wherein said at least one projecting element comprises a fastening element which projects from the skirt inwards towards the inside of the cup-shaped body to removably fasten at least one part of the cap to a neck of the container, said at least one recess being provided at the fastening element on the outer surface, and wherein the transversal wall is joined to the skirt in a joining zone, the plurality of gripping ribs being distributed along a region of the skirt interposed between the joining zone and the fastening element.

6. The cap according to claim 4 , wherein said at least one projecting element comprises a fastening element which projects from the skirt inwards towards the inside of the cup-shaped body to removably fasten at least one part of the cap to a neck of the container, said at least one recess being provided at the fastening element on the outer surface, the fastening element comprising a screw thread, said at least one recess being provided on the outer surface at the screw thread and being shaped like a helical hollow, and wherein the screw thread comprises a plurality of portions of thread separated by thread-free gaps on the inner surface of the cup-shaped body, the gripping elements being provided on the outer surface in zones arranged at the thread-free gaps.

7. The cap according to claim 4 , wherein each gripping rib of the plurality of gripping ribs is shaped like a projection or alternatively a recess provided on the outer surface.

8. The cap according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one projecting element comprises an annular sealing element, which from the transversal wall projects inwards towards the inside of the cup-shaped body to sealingly engage with an edge region of a neck of the container, said at least one recess being an annular groove provided on the outer surface at the annular sealing element.

9. The cap according to claim 8 , wherein the annular sealing element has, in a plane containing said axis a cross-section which is “U”-shaped or “V”-shaped with a rounded vertex.

10. The cap according to claim 1 , wherein an intended separating line is provided on the skirt, the intended separating line extending around the axis and defining on the cup-shaped body a closing element and an annular band, said at least one projecting element comprising an engaging element which projects from the annular band to engage with a retaining element provided on a neck of the container and to prevent the annular band from being removed from the neck, said at least one recess being provided at the engaging element.

11. The cap according to claim 10 , wherein the engaging element extends along a central line which lies in a plane perpendicular to the axis.

12. The cap according to claim 10 , wherein the intended separating line is circumferentially interrupted around the axis so as to define a connecting portion along which the closing element remains joined to the annular band after having been brought into an open position.

13. The cap according to claim 1 , wherein the part of material derived from natural fibres is cellulose.

14. The cap according to claim 1 , wherein the transversal wall has an inner face, a seal being anchored to the inner face to engage with a neck of the container, the seal being made of a material which is softer than the material of the cup-shaped body.

15. The cap according to claim 14 , wherein the seal is made of a material at least part of which is derived from natural fibres.

16. The cap according to claim 15 , wherein the seal is made of the same material used to make the cup-shaped body.

17. A method for producing a cap, the cap comprising a cup-shaped body inside which a cavity is defined, the cup-shaped body being delimited by an inner surface facing towards the cavity and by an outer surface facing the opposite way to the cavity, wherein the cap is produced during a step of pressing a material at least part of which is derived from natural fibres, the step of pressing comprising forming at least one projecting element on a surface of the cup-shaped body selected from either the inner surface or the outer surface, and forming at least one recess on another surface of the cup-shaped body selected from either the outer surface or the inner surface at said at least one projecting element, thereby minimising the differences in compaction between distinct zones of the cup-shaped body.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the part of material derived from natural fibres comprises cellulose.

Assignees

• Sacmi

Inventors

• Pucci Fabrizio
• Parrinello Fiorenzo
• Mazzotti Giovanni

Classifications

• B29K2105/06

  containing reinforcements, fillers or inserts · CPC title

• B29K2001/00

  Use of cellulose, modified cellulose or cellulose derivatives, e.g. viscose, as moulding material · CPC title

• B29D99/0096

  Producing closure members for containers, e.g. closure caps or stoppers · CPC title

• B65D65/466 Primary

  Bio- or photodegradable packaging materials · CPC title

• B65D41/3447

  the tamper element being integrally connected to the closure by means of bridges · CPC title