Cap for a container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12415656-B2
Application number	US-202418742124-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2024
Priority date	Oct 14, 2019
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

A method for making a cap for a container, comprising a step of forming in which the following are: 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 method for making a cap for a container, comprising a step of forming in which the following are made:
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 end 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,
characterized in that also made in the step of forming is 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 tamper evident ring is joined to the cap body both by the joining portion of the tamper evident ring and by the connecting band, 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,
wherein in the step of forming, a first strip and a second strip of the connecting band are made and wherein the cap body is joined to the tamper evident ring both by the first strip and the second strip,
wherein in the step of forming, a first bracket, a second bracket, and a third bracket of the connecting band are made, the first bracket, the second bracket, and the 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,
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, and
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.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of forming is carried out by injection or compression moulding, wherein the connecting band is made as one with the body and the tamper evident ring during the injection or compression moulding.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of forming includes a sub-step of injection or compression moulding, in which the body and the tamper evident ring are formed, and a sub-step of overmoulding, following the step of moulding, in which the connecting band is made.

4. The method according to claim 1 , comprising a step of engraving the joining zone, after the step of forming, in order to make a zone of weakness configured to facilitate tearing the joining zone in response to the movement of the body away from the tamper evident ring.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein relative to the profile of the cap around the longitudinal axis, the zone of weakness is confined within a limited angular portion, at the connecting band.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein 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 in
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.

7. The method according to claim 6 , 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.

8. The method according to claim 6 , 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.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the step of forming, at least one boss of the connecting band is made, extending 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.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the step of forming, the following are made:
a plurality of joining brackets jutting from the retaining portion of the tamper evident ring away from the longitudinal axis;
a plurality of additional joining brackets jutting from the side wall of the body away from the longitudinal axis;
a plurality of joining strips, each having a first end which is connected to a joining bracket of the plurality and a second end which is connected to an additional joining bracket of the plurality, wherein the joining strips are configured to be torn in response to a movement of the body away from the tamper evident ring and define the joining portion of the tamper evident ring.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the body and the tamper evident ring include a first material and the connecting band includes a second material, different from the first material.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the side wall includes an internal thread which extends between a starting end and a finishing end, wherein the starting end is closer to the tamper evident ring than the finishing end and wherein along a profile of the cap around the longitudinal axis, the connecting band has a predetermined angular position relative to the starting end of the internal thread.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of forming is carried out in a mould movable between an open position and a closed position and having an upper unit and a lower unit, the step of forming comprising a sub-step of moving the upper unit and the lower unit relative to each other along the longitudinal axis between a spaced-apart position and a close-together position, wherein, in the open configuration of the mould, the upper unit and the lower unit are at the spaced-apart position and, in the closed configuration of the mould, the upper unit and the lower unit are at the close-together position and delimit a side hollow and a transverse hollow, the mould having a first transverse element and a second transverse element and the step of forming comprising a sub-step of moving the first and the second transverse elements relative to each other along a transverse direction, perpendicular to the longitu

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