Closing cap for a container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12122575-B2
Application number	US-202017598605-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2020
Priority date	Apr 4, 2019
Publication date	Oct 22, 2024
Grant date	Oct 22, 2024

Abstract

A closing cap (1) for a container ( 2 ) includes an outer shell ( 3 ) having a longitudinal axis (X). The outer shell ( 3 ) comprises a lateral wall ( 301 ) which extends about the axis (X) and has a shape which is tubular and coaxial with the axis (X). An end wall ( 302; 317 ) closes the lateral wall ( 301 ) at one end and delimits a concavity. The lateral wall ( 301 ) is internally provided with a coupling structure ( 303 ) configured for removably coupling the cap ( 1 ) to a neck ( 201 ) of the container ( 2 ). An inner component ( 4; 4 ′) includes a closing element provided with an inner portion ( 401; 401 ′) and an outer flange ( 402 ). The closing cap ( 1 ) also comprises a containment chamber ( 5 ) and an opening promoting assembly ( 6 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A closing cap ( 1 ) for a container ( 2 ) comprising:
an outer shell ( 3 ) which extends along a longitudinal axis (X) and comprises a lateral wall ( 301 ), which extends about the axis (X), in particular having a shape which is tubular and coaxial with the axis (X), and an end wall ( 302 ; 317 ), which closes the lateral wall ( 301 ) at one end for delimiting a concavity; wherein the lateral wall ( 301 ) is internally provided with a coupling structure ( 303 ), configured for removably coupling the cap ( 1 ) to a neck ( 201 ) of the container ( 2 ) in such a way that the cap ( 1 ) is movable from a closing position, in which the cap ( 1 ) closes a mouth ( 202 ) of the container ( 2 ), to an opening position;
an inner component ( 4 ; 4 ′) positioned for closing the mouth ( 202 ) of the container ( 2 ), when the cap ( 1 ) is in the closing position, comprising a closing element ( 401 , 401 ′, 402 ) provided with an inner portion ( 401 ; 401 ′), which is configured, in use, for facing the mouth ( 202 ), and an outer flange ( 402 ), extending externally relative to the inner portion ( 401 ; 401 ′), which is configured for fixing to the outer shell ( 3 ); and
a chamber ( 5 ), suitable for containing a product (P) intended to be supplied into the container ( 2 ) through the mouth ( 202 ), which is at least partly delimited by the inner portion ( 401 ; 401 ′); wherein the cap ( 1 ) comprises an opening promoting assembly ( 6 ) and the inner portion ( 401 ; 401 ′) comprises a breakable portion ( 403 ), the opening promoting assembly ( 6 ) being configured for axially stressing the breakable portion ( 403 ) in such a way as to create a supplying outlet ( 7 ) in the inner portion ( 401 ; 401 ′) and to make the product (P) come out of the chamber ( 5 ), supplying the product (P) into the container ( 2 ) through the mouth ( 202 );
wherein the outer shell ( 3 ) comprises a spacer wall ( 305 ), which extends from the end wall ( 302 ; 317 ) and is internally coaxial relative to the lateral wall ( 301 ), the spacer wall ( 305 ) being configured for making contact with the closing element ( 401 , 401 ′, 402 ) and for spacing the latter from the end wall ( 302 ; 317 ) defining a free space ( 306 ) between the end wall ( 302 ; 317 ), the spacer wall ( 305 ) and the closing element ( 401 , 401 ′, 402 ).

2. The cap according to claim 1 , wherein the opening promoting assembly ( 6 ) comprises an outer promoting element ( 601 ; 603 ) fixed to the outer shell ( 3 ) and an inner promoting element ( 602 ; 604 ) fixed to the inner portion ( 401 ; 401 ′) which operate in conjunction with each other during a movement of the cap ( 1 ) from the closing position to the opening position for creating the supplying outlet ( 7 ).

3. The cap according to claim 2 , wherein the outer promoting element ( 601 ; 603 ) and the inner promoting element ( 602 ; 604 ) respectively comprise a cam ( 601 ) and a cam follower ( 602 ) which are configured for making contact and for producing a gradually increasing axial shifting between the end wall ( 302 ; 317 ) and the inner portion ( 401 ; 401 ′), during the movement of the cap ( 1 ) from the closing position to the opening position, such that it axially stresses the breakable portion ( 403 ).

4. The cap according to claim 3 , wherein the breakable portion ( 403 ) is annular and comprises a breaking stretch ( 403 ′), which is weakened and extends over an angle of less than 360°, and a hinge stretch ( 403 ″), which is not weakened, around which a zone ( 404 ) delimited by the breaking stretch ( 403 ′) can be rotated, for creating the supplying outlet ( 7 ) and for making the product (P) come out, and wherein the outer promoting element ( 601 ; 603 ) and the inner promoting element ( 602 ; 604 ) respectively additionally comprise a further cam ( 603 ) and a further cam follower ( 604 ), which are both positioned in an equally angular relationship relative to the cam ( 601 ) and the cam follower ( 602 ), the cam ( 601 ) and the cam follower ( 602 ) being positioned at a distance from the hinge stretch ( 403 ″) for producing stress to cause a first break of the breakable portion ( 403 ), in an initial movement step of the cap ( 1 ) from the opening position to the closing position, the further cam ( 603 ) and the further cam follower ( 604 ) being positioned near the hinge stretch ( 403 ″) for increasing a dimension of the supplying outlet ( 7 ) after the first break.

5. The cap according to claim 2 , wherein the outer shell ( 3 ) comprises a containment wall ( 307 ), which extends from the end wall ( 302 ) until it makes contact with the inner portion ( 401 ; 401 ′), the containment chamber ( 5 ) being defined between the containment wall ( 307 ) and the end wall ( 302 ; 317 ) and being closed by the inner portion ( 401 ; 401 ′), and wherein the outer promoting element ( 601 ; 603 ) and the inner promoting element ( 602 ; 604 ) are positioned externally relative to the containment wall ( 307 ).

6. The cap according to claim 5 , wherein the outer shell ( 3 ) comprises a spacer wall ( 305 ), which extends from the end wall ( 302 ; 317 ) and is internally coaxial relative to the lateral wall ( 301 ), the spacer wall ( 305 ) being configured for making contact with the closing element ( 401 , 401 ′, 402 ) and for spacing the latter from the end wall ( 302 ; 317 ) defining a free space ( 306 ) between the end wall ( 302 ; 317 ), the spacer wall ( 305 ) and the closing element ( 401 , 401 ′, 402 ), and wherein the containment wall ( 307 ) is positioned in the free space ( 306 ), the outer promoting element ( 601 ; 603 ) as well as the inner promoting element ( 602 ; 604 ) also being positioned in the free space ( 306 ), between the spacer wall ( 305 ) and the containment wall ( 307 ).

7. The cap according to claim 1 , wherein the outer shell ( 3 ) comprises a containment wall ( 307 ), which extends from the end wall ( 302 ; 317 ) until it makes contact with the inner portion ( 401 ; 401 ′), the containment chamber ( 5 ) being defined between the containment wall ( 307 ) and the end wall ( 302 ; 317 ) and being closed by the inner portion ( 401 ; 401 ′).

8. The cap according to claim 1 , wherein the breakable portion ( 403 ) is annular and comprises a breaking stretch ( 403 ′), which is weakened and extends over an angle of less than 360°, and a hinge stretch ( 403 ″), which is not weakened, around which a zone ( 404 ) delimited by the breaking stretch ( 403 ′) can be rotated, for creating the supplying outlet ( 7 ) and for making the product (P) come out.

9. The cap according to claim 1 , and comprising an additional element ( 8 ) fixed to the closing element ( 401 , 401 ′, 402 ), which comprises a cavity suitable for containing the product (P), the inner portion ( 401 ; 401 ′) sealingly closing the cavity to form the containment chamber ( 5 ).

10. The cap according to claim 9 , wherein the additional element ( 8 ) comprises an intermediate wall ( 801 ), which is interposed between the end wall ( 302 ; 317 ) and the closing element ( 401 , 401 ′, 402 ), the opening promoting assembly ( 6 ) comprising an upper promoting element, fixed to the outer shell ( 3 ), an intermediate promoting element ( 606 ; 609 ) fixed to the intermediate wall ( 801 ), a supporting element ( 607 ; 610 ) positioned in the containment chamber ( 5 ) between the intermediate wall ( 801 ) and the closing element ( 401 , 401 ′, 402 ), which operate in conjunction with each other during the movement of the cap ( 1 ) from the closing position to the opening position for creating the supplying outlet ( 7 ).

11. The cap according to claim 10 , wherein the upper promoting element

Assignees

• Sacmi

Inventors

• Pucci Fabrizio
• Parrinello Fiorenzo

Classifications

• B65D51/2821

  said element being a blister, a capsule or like sealed container · CPC title

• B65D81/3222

  with additional means facilitating admixture · CPC title

• B65D51/2814

  the additional article or materials being released by piercing, cutting or tearing an element enclosing it · CPC title

• B65D51/2828

  said element being a film or a foil (B65D51/2821, B65D51/2842 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D51/2842 Primary

  said element being provided with a preformed weakened line (B65D51/2821 takes precedence) · CPC title