Cap for a container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12409980-B2
Application number	US-202418742117-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2024
Priority date	Oct 14, 2019
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

A cap for a container comprises: a body, configured to be coupled and uncoupled relative to the neck of the container and including a side wall, which extends around a longitudinal axis, and a transverse wall; a tamper evident ring, configured to remain anchored to the neck of the container even when the body is uncoupled from the neck and including a joining portion where the tamper evident ring is joined to the body, the joining portion being configured to be torn along a full perimeter surrounding the longitudinal axis, wherein the cap comprises a connecting band having a first end connected to the side wall of the body and a second end connected to the retaining portion of the tamper evident ring.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cap for a container, comprising:
a body configured to be coupled and uncoupled relative to the neck of the container and including:
a side wall, which is internally threaded and extends around a longitudinal axis between a first and a second end, and
a transverse wall joined to the first end of the side wall;

a tamper evident ring, configured to remain anchored to the neck of the container even when the cap body is uncoupled from the neck, and including:
a retaining portion, configured to engage a locking member on the neck of the container, and
a joining portion, where the tamper evident ring is joined to the cap body, the joining portion being configured to be torn along a full perimeter surrounding the longitudinal axis in response to a movement of the body away from the tamper evident ring,

wherein the cap further comprises a connecting band having a first end connected to the side wall of the body and a second end connected to the retaining portion of the tamper evident ring, wherein the connecting band extends, without interruptions, between the first end and the second end, the first end being connected to the side wall of the body in a first connecting zone and the second end of the connecting band being connected to the retaining portion of the tamper evident ring in a second connecting zone, so that the cap can be positioned in:
a first operating configuration, where the retaining portion of the tamper evident ring engages the locking member of the container neck, the cap body is coupled to the container neck and the tamper evident ring is joined to the cap body both by the joining portion of the tamper evident ring and by the connecting band, and
a second operating configuration, where the retaining portion of the tamper evident ring engages the locking member of the container neck, the cap body is uncoupled from the container neck and the tamper evident ring is joined to the cap body by the connecting band but is separated from the cap body at the joining portion which is torn,
wherein the first end of the connecting band is connected to the side wall of the body in a first connecting zone of the side wall of the body and the second end of the connecting band is connected to the retaining portion of the tamper evident ring in a second connecting zone of the retaining portion,
wherein the cap further comprises a narrow thickness zone located between the first connecting zone and the second connecting zone, wherein the narrow thickness zone is defined in the side wall of the body and/or in the tamper evident ring, and
wherein the narrow thickness zone is interposed between the first connecting zone and the second connecting zone and is defined by a limited angular portion of an annular zone of the cap, the narrow thickness zone being defined in the side wall of the body and/or in the tamper evident ring.

2. The cap according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting band, in the first operating configuration, protrudes from the side wall of the cap body and from the retaining portion of the tamper evident ring, away from the longitudinal axis.

3. The cap according to claim 2 , wherein in the first operating configuration, the length of the connecting band from the first end to the second end is greater than the distance between the first connecting zone and the second connecting zone.

4. The cap according to claim 2 , wherein the joining portion includes, in the first operating configuration, a plurality of bridges and a plurality of windows, wherein the bridges of the plurality of bridges constitute a connection between the tamper evident ring and the body and are alternated with the windows of the plurality of windows and wherein the narrow thickness zone includes an opening which is greater in length than each window of the plurality of windows.

5. The cap according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting band is shaped like a ribbon having a double curvature, wherein the ribbon has a hole made in it.

6. The cap according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting band includes a first strip and a second strip, wherein, in the first operating configuration and in the second operating configuration, the cap body is joined to the tamper evident ring both by the first strip and by the second strip.

7. The cap according to claim 6 , wherein the connecting band includes a first bracket, a second bracket and a third bracket, jutting out away from the longitudinal axis,
wherein the first and the second bracket jut out from the side wall of the body and the third bracket juts out from the retaining portion of the tamper evident ring or, vice versa, the first and the second bracket jut out from the retaining portion of the tamper evident ring and the third bracket juts out from the side wall of the body,
and wherein along a profile of the cap around the longitudinal axis, the first bracket, the second bracket and the third bracket are angularly offset from each other and the third bracket is interposed between the first bracket and the second bracket,
wherein the first strip has a first end which is connected to the first bracket and a second end which is connected to the third bracket and wherein the second strip has a first end which is connected to the second bracket and a second end which is connected to the third bracket.

8. The cap according to claim 7 , wherein the connecting band comprises at least one boss which extends from one between the first, the second or the third bracket in parallel with the longitudinal axis, wherein the boss is spaced from the body and from the tamper evident ring.

9. The cap according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one boss extends from a surface of one between the first, the second and the third bracket jutting from the tamper evident ring and facing towards the transverse wall of the body and is configured to interact with the side wall of the body when the cap is in the open configuration.

10. The cap according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one boss extends from a surface of one between the first, the second or the third bracket jutting from the side wall of the body and facing towards the tamper evident ring and is configured to lock together with a portion of the connecting band when the cap is in the open configuration.

11. The cap according to claim 8 , wherein the boss extends from a surface of one between the first, the second and the third bracket jutting from the side wall and facing towards the tamper evident ring and is configured to interact with the neck of the container when the cap is in an open configuration.

12. The cap according to claim 7 , wherein the third bracket includes:
a central portion joined to the tamper evident ring or to the side wall of the body,
a first and a second wing extending from the central portion, away from each other, as far as respective ends,
wherein the second end of the first strip and the second end of the second strip are connected to the ends of the first wing and of the second wing, respectively.

13. The cap according to claim 7 , wherein the first bracket and the second bracket jut out from the side wall of the body, away from the longitudinal axis and the third bracket juts out from the retaining portion of the tamper evident ring away from the longitudinal axis.

14. The cap according to claim 13 , wherein the first strip includes a portion extending in a first direction and the second strip includes a portion extending in a second direction, different from the first direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction converge towards the tamper evident ring and diverge towards the cap body.

Assignees

• Sacmi

Inventors

• Zuffa Zeno

Classifications

• B29C33/44

  with means for, or specially constructed to facilitate, the removal of articles, e.g. of undercut articles · CPC title

• B29L2031/56

  Stoppers or lids for bottles, jars, or the like {, e.g. closures} · CPC title

• B29C2043/3665

  cores or inserts, e.g. pins, mandrels, sliders · CPC title

• B29C45/44

  for undercut articles · CPC title

• B29C45/33

  having transversely, e.g. radially, movable mould parts · CPC title